Port Blair, Sept 27: Mr Ashok Kumar Sarkar, a progressive and innovative farmer of Govindapur village, North and Middle Andaman received the prestigious Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Antyodaya Krishi Puruskar award from Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. The award, which contains certificate and a cash prize of Rs.50,000/-, was conferred to him at function held at B.D. Auditorium, Salt Lake Kolkata on Sept 25. The function was organized by ICAR – Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Kolkata in which 300 farmers participated in addition to renowned agricultural scientists. The award is given to recognize the contribution of small and marginal farmers for developing sustainable integrated models / technologies of farming.
Mr Ashok Kumar Sarkar has demonstrated his skills by adopting an integrated farming approach, wherein he had combined horticulture, field crops, Live Stock and Fisheries in his farm. After receiving trainings and attending programmes conducted by KVK and CIARI he had started organic farming approach in a sustainable basis. He had adopted integrated pest management and integrated nutrient management for achieving higher returns. In his farm he applies Farm Yard Manure regularly, grows green manure crops and uses microbial consortium. He produces vermi compost also. Further he produces off season vegetables in net house, he adopts innovative and integrated approach for recycling of farm wastes and production of farm made feed through non conventional sources. In addition to this he has adopted popular CIARI technologies like Broad Bed Furrow system, multitier cropping and fish production under paddy fields. He produces and sells to farmers fish seed, vegetable seeds, fruit plants and mushroom. Mr Ashok Kumar Sarkar was nominated for Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Antyodaya Krishi Puruskar by ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, N & M Andaman as the most creditable farmer who seeks constant guidance, scientific advice and gains scientific knowledge about latest technologies in the field of agriculture and allied sectors from KVK / CIARI. Mr Ashok Kumar Sarkar is an ideal example for the rural farmers of Andaman and a role model for inspiring the youth to achieve success with sheer determination and hard work.
