ICAR-NRAA: Promoting Kharif Crop Production in Rainfed of Bundelkhand Region, Uttar Pradesh 

National Rainfed Area Authority and Zonal Project Directorate, ICAR, Kanpur jointly organized a 3 days training programme at KVK, DRI, Chitrakoot during 27-29 April, 2012. 30 senior level officers of Department of Agriculture, Uttar Pradesh and 15 agricultural scientists representing 4 ICAR institutions and one SAU attended the programme. The programme was basically on finalizing technological strategy for Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. Dr. Ravinder Singh Saini, Consultant Rainfed area Authority, New Delhi while addressing in the inaugural session, highlighted the role of rainfed authority in taking up of capacity building of field officers for the season specific interventions. He further stressed upon developing a programme for pilot based activities in the villages, keeping KVK as leader of the programme for integration of activities of different departments. Dr. N. Nadarajan, Director, IIPR suggested for improving the productivity of pigeonpea with interventions like quality seed production and its use, IPM and promotion of post harvest and value addition activities with the involvement of farm women. He suggested for promotion of small Dal Mill developed by IIPR to the farmers.  Dr. A.K. Singh, Zonal Project Director specifically put forth the problems and priorities of Bundelkhand region especially vast variations in and soil types and the required management practices. He highlighted different technology modules like goat farming, poultry, piggery, aonla cultivation, etc. developed by KVK, Chitrakoot for the small and marginal farmers in rainfed condition. Dr. Bharat Pathak, General Secretary, Deendayal Research Institute (DRI), Chitrakoot suggested for diversification and empowerment of farmers and farm women through product development, post harvest activities, branding, and marketing of produce by involving farmers, farm women as per the availability of local produce. 

Dr. Nandita Pathak, Director, Udyamita Vidyapeeth, Chitrakoot spoke through on women empowerment by organizing women into commodity groups for processing of produce and its marketing. Her focus was on to understand the social and cultural values related to women of Bundelkhand region before advising any activity to them. She cited the success stories of entrepreneurial activities like aonla processing and its products, handicraft products for empowerment of women.

The participants were taken to different units of crop and livestock demonstrations and models of entrepreneurial activities and knowledge sharing of all the important kharif cops like sorghum, bajra, maize, rice, groundnut, til, soybean, agri-horti-based models, pulses (urdbean, mungbean and pigeon pea), farm mechanization, etc. was accomplished.

In concluding session, Dr. Lalit Kumar, Commissioner, Chitrakoot Dham advised the trainees to act upon the technological strategies discussed over here. He said that interaction among district officials of Bundelkhand region involving 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh for fruitful knowledge sharing may be done. He was appreciated the efforts of ICAR and National Rainfed Area Authority for organizing the training well in time before the kharif season. Dr. Lakhan Singh, Principal Scientist (ZPD-IV) suggested to utilize the agropedia service for knowledge and experience sharing by sending text, voice & alert messages to the farmers related to agriculture and livestock.