Scientists should be more alive to the problems of farmers: Kokje

Kangra, Mar 23 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Governor V S Kokje today called upon the scientist community to be proactive towards the newly emerging problems of the farmers.

Appreciating the efforts of the CSK HP agricultural university in teaching, research and extension education, he drew the scientists' attention towards declining area under agriculture.

Mr Kokje, who is also the Chancellor of the CSK HP Agricultural University, said that efforts must be made for precision farming so that the food grain production may not decline.

He said this while chairing the seventeenth senate meeting of the University at Palampur.

The Governor said suo motu action be taken of the problems of the farmers like high failure rate of artificial insemination, poor animal management, and take action to reduce financial losses to the livestock keepers.

Suggesting strengthening of feedback mechanism to improve training and extension programmes, he said more training programmes should be organised at Krishi Vigyan Kendras as a large number of farmers were not in a position to visit Palampur.

Similarly, there was also a need to organise short duration programmes for the young farmers and women, he added.

Appreciating the proposal to establish a Community Radio (CR) station for effective farm communication needs ''Increasing literacy rate and excellent road network'', he said ''I hope you will make use of all communication media and other technologies to reach the poorest of the poor and remotely settled farmer.'' UNI AS HS LS BST1749