Cultivation of maize, mustard, moong to be promoted: ICAR

Cultivation of maize, mustard, and moong need to be promoted in a big way across the country and this must be accompanied by adoption of modern technology in the agriculture sector, said Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Deputy Director General A.K. Singh on Saturday.

Favouring that the crop diversification must be promoted in a big way, Singh at an ICAR consultation meeting here, said instead of focusing on wheat and rice, cultivation of 3Ms -- maize, moong and mustard -- should be promoted as it can help the country attaining self-sufficiency and enhancing the income of the farmers.

The meeting was organized in association with agri-input company Dhanuka Group.

Several agriculture scientists from 33 Krishi Vidyalaya Kendras and ICAR scientists participated in the meeting that also witnessed the participation of policymakers, industry players and farmers, among others.

R.G. Agarwal, Chairman of the Dhanuka Group, emphasised the need for the adoption of integrated crop management practices, usage of modern technology and quality agri-inputs.

Earlier setting the tone for meeting, Rajbir Singh, Director ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI) said: "This is the first time a national-level consultation meeting is being organised in association with a private sector and hope the recommendation from here would help farmers overcoming the issue of pest and various crop diseases."

Alluding to the need for adopting integrated pest management, Subhash Chander, ICAR-NCIPM Director, said, "Farmers would benefit immensely by adopting integrated pest management techniques and it needs to be adopted in a holistic manner."

Sujay Rakshit, ICAR-IIMR Director, said the diversification of crops is the need of the hour and cultivation of short duration crops will also help farmers in a big way.