PIB TEAM VISITED ICAR-NOFRI
Nine members Press Team from Jaipur comprised of different newspapers and magazines visited ICAR-National Organic Farming Research Institute, Tadong, Gangtok under the leadership of Shri Prem Bharti, Joint Director, Press Information Bureau, Jaipur, Rajasthan on February 14, 2017. During the Press Team visit, Dr. R. K. Avasthe, Joint Director, ICAR-National Organic Farming Research Institute, Tadong, Gangtok welcomed all the team members and presented the overview of ICAR-NOFRI research, development and technology transfer activities. He also briefed that realizing the need for sound organic research support in the country, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Sikkim Centre, Tadong, Gangtok has been upgraded to National Organic Farming Research Institute (NOFRI) w.e.f. 16 May 2016 for the improvement of health and livelihood security in the country in general and Sikkim state in particular.
Press Team members interacted actively to get equipped with the climate change issues and its effect on agriculture. Joint Director briefed about the research activities being carried out at ICAR-NOFRI and detailed about important technologies developed at the institute viz., zero-till pea cultivation under rice fallow, maize based climate resilient cropping system, intensive vegetable cultivation under low cost plastic tunnels and rain shelters, kiwifruit production technology, Vanaraja for Backyard Poultry, dairy farming and pig farming under deep litter system etc., technology transfer along with ICAR-KVK East Sikkim and capacity building programs to increase the production and productivity of organic farming systems in Sikkim. ICAR-NOFRI is observing ‘National Productivity Week’ w.e.f. Feb. 12-18, 2017. The team also visited the Research Farm to get acquainted with the technologies developed.
Dr. R.K. Avasthe, Joint Director along with team of scientists including Dr. Ashish Yadav, Dr. Rafiqul Islam and Dr. Brijesh Kumar also presented two books “Transforming Rural Sikkim: Year Round Organic Crop Production” and ‘Handbook on Organic Crop Production in Sikkim’ edited by R.K. Avasthe, Yashoda Pradhan and Khorlo Bhutia to the Press Team Members viz., Shri Prem Bharti, Shri Subhash Bansal, Shri Ajit Tiwari, Shri Suresh Chand Pareek, Shri Arun Sharma, Shri Shyam Sundar Sharma, Shri Rohit Kumar Soni, Shri Mukesh Kumar Sharma and Shri Ishwar Bairagi. To recap, the book earlier in the year was released by Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on January 18, 2016 while addressing the National Workshop on ‘Sustainable Agriculture and Farmers Welfare’ in which Sikkim was declared as the first fully organic farming state of India at Gangtok and Hon’ble Chief Minister, Shri Pawan Chamling on August 15, 2014, respectively. The books were jointly published by Sikkim Organic Mission, Government of Sikkim, Gangtok, and National Organic Farming Research Institute, Tadong, Gangtok. Dr. Ashish Yadav, Senior Scientist (Horticulture) and Shri S.M. Kandwal, Technical Officer coordinated the Press Team visit at ICAR-NOFRI.
Issued by- ICAR-NOFRI
