BANNER NEWS

The biotic and abiotic risk in farming is quite high in the study areas of both Assam (Sibsagar and Golaghat district ) and Odisha  

The use of mobile phones by the farmers to access the necessary information and knowledge services to strengthen their livelihoods are increasing. It supports the farmers to access timely agro-advisories, market and weather-related information etc,. from the experts and government officials. During this lockdown period, maintaining physical distance is one of the key strategies practised to contain the disease.

Preparations have been completed for the second round of demonstrations of farmer led climate smart rice-based technologies (climate resilient rice varieties, tolerant to flood and drought, SRI method, direct seeding, mechanization etc) in Assam and Odisha project sites undertaken by AAU, OUAT, IWMI, NRRI, MSSRF and NIBIO teams. The emphasis will be on sustainable intensification, need based inputs (fertilizer, water) and reducing the use of chemicals for controlling pest and disease by promoting IPM.

ICAR -NRRI and M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) jointly organised a day  workshop on  “Integration of Stakeholders for Promoting Climate-Smart Technologies through Digital Agriculture” on 23^rd December 2019 at NRRI, Cuttack.  Dr.A K Nayak, Principal Scientist & HOD, CCAR – NRRI delivered the welcome address and highlighted the Resilience project interventions and the role of digital agriculture to build the capacity of the farmers. Dr. H.

The Resilience project partners and stakeholders participated in the annual review meeting and field exposure visits to Tangi block (Cuttack district, Odisha state) on the 14^th November, to observe the different farmer community-led on farm demonstration of selected climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) interventions. Row planting of rice seedlings was one of the practices introduced along with short duration rice varieties by NRRI in the village Abhayapur.

RESILIENCE project is adopting a cluster-based approach to introduce climate smart agriculture (CSA) technologies. These were selected based on situation analysis and choices of experts and farmers in the project areas.

Knowledge Management and Capacity Building is the core theme of the project in builiding the capability of the small farmers and associated stakeholders in addressing the issues in enhancing the resilience capacity in the context of climate change. Management of plant health assumes greater importance to reduce the risk in crop cultivation. The current advisory systems available to meet the challenge is inadeqaute and require a paradigm shift in the approach. Towards this, MSSRF is striving to develop a farmer friendly model in collaboration with CABI for the past 8 years.

As part of the Knowledge Mangement and capacity building work package, the Village Knowledge Centre ( VKC) was inaugurated in Chikrada village, Ganjam district of  Odisha by Prof P.K. Roul Dean Extension Education and Principal Investigator, RESILIENCE project inaugurated the VKC in presence of Prof.  L.M. Garnayak, Nodal officer, RESILIENCE project and Mrs Mamata Mohanty, Sarpanch of Chikarada Gram Panchayat

A novel approach to promote farmers as Seed Producers and to reduce the Seed Production Cycle in Assam

Agriculture development in India is not possible without improving the livelihoods of smallholders who constitute the majority. Often the prices for agriculture commodities are unstable and controlled by middle-men, despite government policies.