Farm fair will feature 54 live crops on 10 hectares
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NAGPUR: Agriculture fairs
are known for agriculture products like pesticides, fertilizers,
machinery or even the crop products. For the first time, Krishi Vasant,
the biggest ever national agriculture fair of country being held in city
from February 9, will have 54 standing crops in the premises of the
Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), the host institution.
These crops include 304 different varieties including the 260 best ones from across India. Amazingly, these are not just the rabi crops (winter crops, the season now) but majority of them are kharif crops. They also belong to all agro-climatic zones across India. When the idea of the having live demonstrations of these crops was first mooted by the union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar a few months back, CICR director Keshav Kranthi grabbed the opportunity. The live crops would be useful for demonstrating crop damage assessment. Pawar told Kranthi that Nagpur's Agro Vision was a success but it lacked components like fishery, poultry, and animal husbandry etc and challenged him to bring all these in the fair he had suggested to be held in January 2014.
Kranthi successfully involved 41 agriculture institutions and universities from the country for the purpose. "We are demonstrating the crops on 10 acres in different blocks like cereals, oil seeds, fodder, fibre, medicinal plants, vegetables, multiple crops to showcase the concept of integrated pest management etc. We had to definitely do a lot of planning for displaying varieties from all types like early, medium and late maturing," Kranthi told TOI.
He said he readily agreed to host the fair at CICR as otherwise he would never have got an opportunity to showcase cotton and his institute's work to as many as 1.46 lakh farmers from all over India and 46,000 from state in one go. Now Kranthi, his CICR team and the representatives from various agriculture institutes are set to demonstrate the 54 crops live to the farmers.
The fair being held at a cost of about Rs 58 crore with Rs 40 crore coming from Central and Rs 18 crore from state government. About Rs 22 crore is being spent on farmers' mobilization alone. They will be brought in by 31 special trains from various corners of India. Another added attraction is school for 2000 farmers daily where experts will educate them on different crops.
Star crops
Cereals and pulses block: Wheat, maize, lentil, Lathurus
Oil seeds block: Soyabean, sunflower, safflower, mustard, linseed, sesame, castor
Fibres block: Rami fibre (strongest fibre in world), flax, jute, sun hemp etc
Vegetables: Cabbage, brinjal, cow pea, tomato, radish, coriander etc
Ecological engineering (Integrated pest management) which means growing a variety of crops in which the pest of one crop is beneficial for other
Cotton block: Conventional and high density plantation
Fodder block: Berseem, oat (kent), etc.
These crops include 304 different varieties including the 260 best ones from across India. Amazingly, these are not just the rabi crops (winter crops, the season now) but majority of them are kharif crops. They also belong to all agro-climatic zones across India. When the idea of the having live demonstrations of these crops was first mooted by the union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar a few months back, CICR director Keshav Kranthi grabbed the opportunity. The live crops would be useful for demonstrating crop damage assessment. Pawar told Kranthi that Nagpur's Agro Vision was a success but it lacked components like fishery, poultry, and animal husbandry etc and challenged him to bring all these in the fair he had suggested to be held in January 2014.
Kranthi successfully involved 41 agriculture institutions and universities from the country for the purpose. "We are demonstrating the crops on 10 acres in different blocks like cereals, oil seeds, fodder, fibre, medicinal plants, vegetables, multiple crops to showcase the concept of integrated pest management etc. We had to definitely do a lot of planning for displaying varieties from all types like early, medium and late maturing," Kranthi told TOI.
He said he readily agreed to host the fair at CICR as otherwise he would never have got an opportunity to showcase cotton and his institute's work to as many as 1.46 lakh farmers from all over India and 46,000 from state in one go. Now Kranthi, his CICR team and the representatives from various agriculture institutes are set to demonstrate the 54 crops live to the farmers.
The fair being held at a cost of about Rs 58 crore with Rs 40 crore coming from Central and Rs 18 crore from state government. About Rs 22 crore is being spent on farmers' mobilization alone. They will be brought in by 31 special trains from various corners of India. Another added attraction is school for 2000 farmers daily where experts will educate them on different crops.
Star crops
Cereals and pulses block: Wheat, maize, lentil, Lathurus
Oil seeds block: Soyabean, sunflower, safflower, mustard, linseed, sesame, castor
Fibres block: Rami fibre (strongest fibre in world), flax, jute, sun hemp etc
Vegetables: Cabbage, brinjal, cow pea, tomato, radish, coriander etc
Ecological engineering (Integrated pest management) which means growing a variety of crops in which the pest of one crop is beneficial for other
Cotton block: Conventional and high density plantation
Fodder block: Berseem, oat (kent), etc.
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