Port Blair, Nov 12: The ICAR-Central Island Agriculture Research Institute here conducted 6-day Scientist-Farmers Interface and awareness programme on the topic “Diversification of Pulse crops and Maize in traditional farming systems of the tribal areas of Car Nicobar for increasing nutritional security and income per unit area” at Big Lapathy, Small Lapathy, Mus, Kinmai, Tapoiming, Malacca of Car Nicobar recently. The programme was formulated under the guidance of Dr. S. Dam Roy, Director, ICAR-CIARI with a mission and vision to introduce different pulse crops and high yielding varieties of maize in the traditional farming system of the tribal farmers. The programme was organized by Dr Awnindra K Singh, Course Director and Dr. Nagesh Ram, PC KVK Car Nicobar. The programme on pulse and maize in tribal areas of Car Nicobar was assisted by Dr. Zachariah George, Mr. Ajay Kumar Pandey and Mr. Sanjay Kumar Pandey of KVK, Car Nicobar.
During interface and training programme, Dr. Awnindra Kumar Singh, Sr. Scientist (Plant Breeding), CIARI, Port Blair emphasized the importance of training programme and highlighted the relevance of pulse crops and maize in the traditional farming system of the tribal community for their nutritional security and soil health management. He also gives his emphasis on the importance of pulse crops in general and mungbean, urdbean, cowpea and pigeonpea in particular for generating income per unit area.
Mr Akhil Kumar, Assistant Commissioner (HQ), speaking as the chief guest at Small Lapathy, expressed gratitude to the Director, CIARI Dr. S. Dam Roy and Dr. A.K. Singh, Sr. Scientist for imparting such important training programme on the most important component of today’s agriculture. He urged the tribal farmers to take an initiative and come forward for enhancing pulse crops cultivation in their traditional farming system for their nutritional security. Mr Martin Luther, Secretary, Tribal Council, Car Nicobar, speaking as the chief guest at Kinami, invited the community to come forward for the cultivation of pulse crops and maize for fulfilling their daily needs and securing livelihood security of the community. He invite the Captains of the tribal villages of Car Nicobar to take an initiative for the promotion of such important crops with your full potential and take an opportunity of know-how of these crops from CIARI Scientists. Secretary tribal council also owe his sincere gratitude to Dr. S. Dam Roy, Director, CIARI and Dr. Awnindra K Singh, Sr. Scientist for making tremendous approach for organizing such important training programme and taking pain to share their knowledge and views among the tribal farmers.
Dr. Zachariah George spoke on the importance of pulse and maize in animal feeds, while, Mr. Sanjay Kumar Pandey gives his remarks on crop management. In the programme, more than 350 tribal farmers, captains of targeted 6 villages and village council members were participated. During programme seeds of high yield varieties of mung, urd and maize were distributed. Mr. Ajay Kumar Pandey proposed the vote of thanks.
