Efficient Marketing Vital For Augmenting Income Of Farmers: Dr R.S. Sidhu

Ludhiana, May 31, 2016: Deliberations on various aspects of agriculture marked the conclusion of the two-day “Research and Extension Specialists’ Workshop for Vegetables, Floriculture and Sericulture along with Post-Harvest Management, Farm Power and Machinery, Food Technology and Agricultural Economics” at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) today. The workshop was jointly organized by the Directorate of Extension Education, PAU and the National Horticulture Mission.
Chairing the concluding session, Dr R.S. Sidhu, Director of Extension Education, PAU said, “Efficient marketing and value addition are vital for augmenting the income of vegetable growers.” “PAU has established Food Industry Centre (FIC) on the campus with an aim of developing and up-scaling value addition technologies, and providing training to the farmers for entrepreneurship development,” he told. Dr Sidhu called upon the extension functionaries to motivate farmers to receive trainings at FIC and boost their income. In addition, he highlighted that the University has developed several farm machines and crop varieties, suitable for promoting mechanization of horticultural crops in the state. Referring to drip irrigation and fertigation techniques, he told that these play an important role in reducing water usage and enhancing productivity.
During the technical session on “Vegetable Crops,” experts discussed present status of vegetable production, new varieties and hybrids of vegetable crops, integrated weed management in garlic, and managing poor quality ground water in cyclic mode with good quality canal water and mulching in potato.
In the technical session on “Floriculture and Plant Protection Measures,” experts deliberated on new varieties and disease management in floricultural crops, management of root knot nematodes in poly house, and integrated management of potato scab.
During the concluding session on “Post-harvest management of vegetables, agricultural engineering and technology, apiculture and economics,” experts gave presentations on value addition in vegetable crops, post-harvest management of vegetables, mechanical harvesting of pea in Punjab, drip irrigation and fertigation of vegetables, rodent problems and their control in vegetable crops, role of honey bees in pollination of vegetable crops and economics of vegetable crops in Punjab.
Earlier, the participants visited the research farms of vegetable, floriculture and farm power and machinery.