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Kenyan delegation discusses areas of cooperation at PAU
A three-member delegation comprising governor of Kenya Patrick Khaemba and minister of agriculture Mary Nzomo visited Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Friday to discuss mutual areas of cooperation. Khaemba’s wife Lydia Seroney was also part of the delegation
A three-member delegation comprising governor of Kenya Patrick Khaemba and minister of agriculture Mary Nzomo visited Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Friday to discuss mutual areas of cooperation. Khaemba’s wife Lydia Seroney was also part of the delegation.
The visiting delegation interacted with the senior officials of PAU, deans of constituent colleges, additional directors of research and extension education and heads of various departments.
Khaemba hailed PAU’s role in improving the agri-assets and stated that Kenya was good at developing poultry. “Kenya would like to assist PAU in agricultural issues being faced in Punjab. We should jointly work in areas which are in accordance with the governmental rules of both the nations,” he said.
Appreciating the close link of PAU to farmers of Punjab, he added: “We need to think of farmers and how to motivate them to take-up new technologies.”
Nzomo said that Punjab and Kenyan agriculture have many similarities. “As both are rice and wheat producers, we would like to focus on food and nutrition as well as food diversification such as cereals and pulses,” she stated, while evincing interest in the area of extension also and lauding PAU’s skill development training.
AS Dhatt, director of research, while delivering a presentation on “PAU and Green Revolution,” said: “PAU is a pioneer of the green revolution, apiculture and cattle breeding and leader in farm mechanisation. Having outstanding human resources and exemplary link to the farming community, the university has played a remarkable role in the development of agriculture in Punjab as well as the rest of India.”
He said that presently, the focus is on enhancing crop productivity and quality and increasing tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses.
Dhatt suggested collaborating in the areas of field crops (wheat, rice, maize, cotton and sugarcane), horticulture, food technology, apiculture, agroforestry, water use efficiency and farm machinery.
Exhort farmers To use water judiciously: PAU expert to scientists
A total of 12 agriculture and horticulture development officers (ADOs/HDOs), district extension specialists and soil conservation officers participated in the two-day training course on irrigation management in horticultural crops which concluded at Punjab Agricultural University’s Skill Development Centre on Friday.
Kuldeep Singh, associate director (skill development), said that it is important for officers and scientists to educate and exhort farmers to adopt crop diversification by cultivating fruits and vegetables, and use water judiciously by adopting suitable irrigation methods.
Jaswinder Singh Brar, professor of fruit science, said that the trainees were imparted theoretical as well as practical knowledge about new cultivation technologies for fruits and vegetables and pest and disease management in horticultural crops.
