Fifth All-India Krishi Vigyan Kendra Conference-2010 was organised at Mohanlal Sukhadia University auditorium, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India during 22-24 December, 2010. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Maharana Pratap Agricultural University, Udaipur jointly organized the conference with the theme, “Development of entrepreneurship among farmers”. In addition to technical sessions, an exhibition on entrepreneurship in agriculture was also organized depicting farm innovations. Programme coordinators of 589 Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Vice-Chancellors of State Agricultural Universities, officials of ICAR and Planning Commission, agricultural scientists and progressive farmers participated in the conference.
The conference was inaugurated by Her Excellency the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil. Distinguished guest included His Excellency Governor of Punjab and Rajasthan Shri Shivraj Patil, Chief Minister of Rajasthan Shri Ashok Gehlot, Union Minister of Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Shri Sharad Pawar, Union Rural Development Minister Shri C. P. Joshi and Minister of State for Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prof. KV Thomas.
Her Excellency the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil in her inaugural speech said that Farmers’ access to new innovations is an integral aspect of success in this. There is an urgent need to bring about a radical change in the extension machinery, which should aim at integration of research-extension-farmers-market linkages. The extension system should be re-engineered with the active participation of government agencies, the corporate sector, NGOs, farmers’ organizations and Self Help Groups. In other words, a new concept of Public-Private-People-Participation in extension needs to be evolved. Just as Aasha workers under the National Rural Health Mission, it is possible to enroll an army of trained “Kissan Bandhus” attached to the Krishi Vigyan Kendras across the country, who could help farmers through extension activities.
I call upon the KVK system to be a harbinger of the Second Green Revolution in the country. Efforts should be made to encourage each and every KVK to work actively in their respective areas and their genuine needs should also be looked into, to make them functionally effective. This is necessary to also revitalise our rural areas and as Gandhiji said, “If the village perishes, India will perish, too”. We have to do everything to keep farmers in our villages productive, and make them progressive for the prosperity of our country.
Other distinguished speakers highlighted that knowledge is instrumental in rural and agricultural development and emphasized that knowledge delivery can be made more effective and timely with the help of line departments of rural ministry and other related organizations.
Dr. S. Ayyappan, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR introduced the theme of conference along with major highlights of the contributions of the Council in this direction.
KVK, Kannauj; KVK, Kanchipuram and KVK, Kaddlur were awarded the Best KVK award. Important publications were released in the conference which also included database of 60,000 progressive farmers across the country and 101 inspiring technological interventions (Agritech Interventions – Harbingers of Prosperity 2010). On closing Dr. K.D. Kokate, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), ICAR proposed vote of thanks.
Source: http://www.icar.org.in/en/node/2414
