Agriculture and Farmers Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar today inaugurated four new facilities at the Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), which has been providing excellent services for over 60 years under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Union Minister Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Sheikhabad and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Kailash Chaudhary were the special guests on the occasion. The Chief Guest of the programme, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, in his address said that CAZRI, an institute of excellence of ICAR, has been doing innovation and research in agriculture for the dryland farmers for more than 60 years, setting an example for our desert regions and the world. Due to the research works carried out by CAZRI, such as dune stabilization, irrigation and irrigation system and new varieties of crops, grasses and fruits, farmers’ incomes are increasing.
CAZRI’s work such as solar energy, cost reduction of agriculture and livestock farming will also benefit farmers in dry areas. Due to the new technologies and research results that CAZRI develops from time to time, CAZRI has won 8 out of 10 ICAR National Awards in the last six years. Shri Tomar also inaugurated the newly constructed auditorium, agribusiness cultivation center, eco-friendly sewage treatment plant and indoor sports hall at CAZRI. Shri Tomar further added that under the able leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India will be the number one producer of all crops and agricultural products. Currently, India ranks first or second in the world in terms of most agricultural production.
Shri Tomar said that India’s agricultural economy is very strong, which will be sustainable, making India fully capable of dealing with any major crisis. Sri Tomar said that as the Chief Minister of Gujarat before 2014 and as the Prime Minister, Sri Modi has always kept the poor villages and farmers in mind. In the last 8 years, many schemes have been launched under the leadership of PM Modi to improve agriculture, provide income support and technology support to farmers. 86 percent of the small farmers in the country have organized themselves through FPO, they are now processing their produce and also getting reasonable prices, he said.
PM Modi has set up a fund of one lakh crore rupees for the development of infrastructure in the agriculture sector, out of which projects worth Rs 14,000 crore have already been approved, informed Shri Tomar. Shri Tomar described the contribution of scientists as important for the progress of agriculture and said that they should focus on increasing productivity with a larger objective. Emphasizing on increasing the availability of planting material, he said that if CAZRI continues in this area, the central government will extend full support. Shri Tomar praised CAZRI for many achievements.
CAZRI has done innumerable researches and developed technologies for development of dryland agriculture which are examples for our desert regions and the whole world, said Shri Tomar. CAZRI has adopted a holistic approach to the development of dry farming. Jal Shakti Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in his speech said that India’s prestige has increased worldwide under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Modi, today no platform can ignore India on any issue. Shri Shekhawat said that due to the hard work of the farmers, the contribution of agricultural scientists and the policies of the government, today we have become a recognized exporting country along with abundance of food grains.
Prime Minister Shri Modi has taken steps to change the way we look at the agriculture sector and make it profitable. A lot of efforts have been made in the agriculture sector for the welfare of farmers, the results of which are visible. He said that the time has come to work from the point of view of how our farmers should work for the needs of the world, how we should enable farmers to do so. Today, food is judged based on nutrition rather than weight, we stand at the door of limitless possibilities. He talked about working on planting material in Jodhpur.
In his speech, Shri Kailash Chaudhary said that CAZRI has contributed a lot to the cause of farmers. Once upon a time, this entire area was a desert. There was a problem of water shortage, farmers were suffering, in such a situation CAZRI brought new technology to the farmers. Today, dates, pomegranates and figs are grown here, and dragon fruit is just beginning to be grown. In the coming days, the millet grown here will find its place in the world. There has been a long demand for millet research to take place in Rajasthan, now the millet research center is opening a center in Barmer. The function was also attended by Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR and Director, CAZRI, Dr. O.P. Yadav. Progressive farmers were felicitated by Shri Tomar during the programme.
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