Latest news with #IIVR
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Seed production agreement for advanced ‘bhindi' variety signed
1 2 Varanasi: On the occasion of the 97th Foundation Day of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), an agreement for seed production of the advanced okra (bhindi) variety 'Kashi Sahishnu' was signed between the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi, and Ador Seeds India Private Limited, Pune. The agreement was facilitated through CEO of ICAR's company AgriInnovate, Praveen Malik, in a ceremony held in the presence of Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan and director general of ICAR & Secretary, Agricultural Education and Research ML Jat in New Delhi on Thursday. IIVR director Rajesh Kumar signed the technology transfer documents with the CEO Malik and exchanged them. Under this partnership, India's leading seed production company can now produce seeds of this advanced okra variety and directly reach farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Punjab. According to Pradeep Karmakar, the breeder scientist of this advanced variety, 'Kashi Sahishnu' (VRO-111) is recommended for cultivation in the four agricultural zones, including Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, and is notified under gazette notification number SO 1362 (E) dated March 12, 2024. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo The IIVR director said that years of relentless scientific effort went into developing this variety. Along with intensive research by scientists, repeated field demonstrations and the special role of the Institute's Technology Management Unit (ITMU) were crucial. "Kashi Sahishnu variety is extremely beneficial for farmers because it is resistant to two major viral diseases, which will require farmers to use fewer pesticides and reduce production costs," he said, adding that due to its higher productivity, farmers' income can increase by 20-23%. According to him, considering the commercial benefits of this okra variety, several other companies have also applied for its license, which are being considered. Nagendra Rai, head of the Crop Improvement Division, said that due to the better fruit quality of this variety, farmers will get good prices in the market, and labour costs will also be reduced due to ease in harvesting and packing.
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Shivraj bats for technology transfer to farmers
Varanasi: Chairing a review meeting with scientists of Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR) here on Friday evening, Union minister of agriculture and farmers welfare and rural development, Shivraj Singh Chauhan emphasised the need for agricultural scientists to advance the developed agriculture resolution campaign and accelerate communication with farmers. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Commending the nationwide success of the campaign, Chauhan stressed the need to enhance food quality, ensure its benefits reach farmers, and intensify awareness on genome editing, seed treatment, organic and natural farming to boost vegetable production. He called for strong measures against counterfeit fertilisers, substandard seeds, and harmful pesticides, which adversely affect farmers. Highlighting the role of the country's 16,000 agricultural scientists, the minister praised the Lab to Land programme, which aligns research efforts with farmers' actual needs. He urged research focused on increasing the shelf life of tomatoes, developing export-friendly crops, and enhancing dry powder yield. He also pushed for data-driven research in organic and traditional farming, emphasizing work aligned with the Developed Agriculture Resolution Campaign. Chauhan noted the need to foster innovation at the grassroots, reduce input costs, ensure fair pricing, and promote natural farming. He also advocated for improved coordination among KVKs, research institutes, and state agriculture departments, and emphasized a region-specific action plan for the upcoming Rabi season, especially in light of climate change challenges. IIVR Director Dr. Rajesh Kumar shared that under the campaign, IIVR scientists have reached over 61,000 farmers across 825 villages in six districts. Sudhakar Pandey, Assistant Director General, ICAR, provided an overview of the institute's ongoing initiatives.
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviews IIVR work in UP's Varanasi, urges better farmer outreach, calls for focus on seed quality & natural farming
VARANASI: Union minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan , held a review meeting with scientists of the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR) at the Circuit House auditorium on Friday. He emphasised the need for agricultural scientists to advance the Developed Agriculture Resolution Campaign and improve communication with farmers. He praised the success of the campaign conducted nationwide and spoke about the continuous rise in food production in the country. He stressed the importance of improving its quality and ensuring the benefits reach farmers. He also highlighted the need to make farmers aware of genome editing, seed treatment, organic farming, and natural farming to boost vegetable production. In addition, he called for a strategy to tackle issues like counterfeit fertilisers, poor-quality seeds, and harmful pesticides affecting farmers. The minister stated that there are 16,000 agricultural scientists in the country working on research and the development of high-quality seeds. He appreciated the Lab to Land programme, saying it enables research to be tailored to farmers' needs. He called for efforts to increase the shelf life of tomatoes, develop crops suitable for dry powder and export, gather scientific data from organic and traditional farming, and accelerate work on gene editing. He also stressed the need for research under the Developed Agriculture Resolution Campaign to be based on farmers' practical requirements. He urged scientists to consider how lessons from the campaign can directly benefit farmers. He also spoke about the importance of increasing production through farmer-led innovations. He said the government is making efforts to increase agricultural output, reduce costs, provide compensation for crop losses, ensure fair prices for produce, and promote natural farming. He stressed the need for better coordination between different departments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), and the state agriculture department. The minister underlined the importance of preparing a region-specific action plan for the upcoming Rabi season and called for greater resilience in the vegetable production system in light of climate change. He emphasised the need for effective collaboration between agricultural science centres and research institutes to speed up the transfer of technology to farmers. Rajesh Kumar , Director of IIVR, presented a detailed report on the institute's achievements and work with farmers. He shared that under the Developed Agriculture Resolution Campaign, IIVR scientists had engaged with 61,109 farmers across 825 villages in six districts. Sudhakar Pandey, Assistant Director General of ICAR, gave a brief overview of the institute's activities. The meeting was attended by a large number of IIVR scientists and officials, as well as state agriculture department officers and KVK representatives.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Grow heat-tolerant varieties, UP minister urgers farmers
1 2 Varanasi: As part of Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan 2025, Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare, Ramnath Thakur, participated in a farmers' dialogue programme organised by the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR) at Paniyara village on Wednesday. During the farmer dialogue, the minister emphasised that scientists should conduct research keeping farmer welfare in mind. He added that farmers trust scientists' advice and scientists are working hard to develop new technologies for farmers through dedicated research. Need is to reach the technologies to farmers and motivate them to adopt them. He also urged scientists to develop new heat-tolerant varieties. The minister inspected products displayed by FPOs and farmers at an exhibition in which prominent institutions such as IIVR, Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Renew Power took part in the programme that was attended by Sanjay Kumar, director of National Seed Research Institute, distinguished progressive farmer Padma Shri Chandreshkhar, village head, regional public representatives, Naveen Singh, in charge of Krishi Vigyan Kendra and senior officials from state agriculture department. The minister also inspected the paddy field demonstration of the direct seeded rice method implemented by IRRI at farmer Lallan Dubey's field in Paniyara village. DSR is a sustainable scientific method that helps save water in paddy fields while increasing production and reducing costs. The minister honoured five selected farmers and provided Digital Soil Health Cards to 10 farmers to help them get instant information about soil quality. At IIVR campus's 'agricultural waste management unit', Thakur planted a sandalwood sapling as part of the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign. Dr Sanjay Kumar Singh, deputy director general (horticulture), ICAR, also planted a tree alongside. During dialogue with progressive farmers and FPOs, the minister gathered information about IIVR's role in the nationwide Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan. Director Rajesh Kumar said that under IIVR's leadership, in coordination with KVKs and state govt's agriculture department, scientists completed dialogue with over 52,000 farmers across six districts in 13 days, which continues unabated. The director also briefed the minister about farmers' problems gathered from scientists. Major issues addressed included crop damage from nilgai, water crisis, pest management, lack of market access and non-availability of quality seeds. The minister directed quick solutions to these problems.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
IIVR's outreach drive engages 44K farmers across 6 UP dists
Varanasi: The Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi has recorded unprecedented success during an 11-day agricultural outreach programme conducted under the Ministry of Agriculture's nationwide initiative Viksit Krishi Samkalp Abhiyan-2025. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The campaign, held from May 29 to June 8, reached over 44,000 farmers across six districts of Uttar Pradesh. Briefing mediapersons on Monday, IIVR director Dr Rajesh Kumar said 18 expert teams comprising more than 50 scientists from IIVR collaborated with Krishi Vigyan Kendras and officials from the state agriculture department. Together, they directly engaged with farmers in Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Sant Ravidas Nagar, and Kushinagar — averaging an outreach of over 4,400 farmers per day. A total of 54 farmer interaction programmes were held across 65 villages in more than 15 blocks. These sessions covered topics such as direct seeding of rice (DSR), high-yielding IIVR vegetable varieties, integrated pest management, natural farming, nano-fertiliser application, protected cultivation, value addition, kitchen gardening, mushroom cultivation, beekeeping, and drone-based farm solutions. The campaign also registered 36% participation from women, reflecting the growing involvement of rural women in agriculture. Aligned with the National Natural Farming Mission, the campaign laid special emphasis on organic pest control and reducing chemical input dependency in farming systems. Dr Kumar also highlighted key challenges faced by farmers, including crop damage by wildlife such as nilgai, water scarcity, pest infestations (notably whiteflies and jassids), poor market access, delayed supply of quality seeds, and lack of awareness about government schemes. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In the short term, the institute plans to intensify the use of organic pest control measures, pheromone traps, and promote efficient irrigation systems like drip and sprinkler methods. Additionally, plans are underway to establish Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in each district to improve collective bargaining and market access. Mid-term strategies include setting up regional centres of excellence, deploying mobile soil testing labs, and nurturing over 1,000 progressive farmers to become agri-entrepreneurs.
