The ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, organized a Conference-cum-Workshop of “Zila Parishad Members and Progressive Farmers’ Meet” under the “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” Campaign on June 9, 2026 to sensitize public representatives about soil health management and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. The event was graced by Mrs. Kumari Stuti, Chairperson, Zila Parishad, Patna, and Mrs. Saroj Devi, Chairperson, Zila Parishad, Buxar, as the Chief Guests, along with several Zila Parishad members from Patna and Buxar districts, farmers as well as scientists and staff of the institute.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Mrs. Kumari Stuti emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts among research institutions, local governance bodies, and farming communities for ensuring agricultural sustainability and rural prosperity. She appreciated the institute’s efforts in developing location-specific technologies and called for strengthening the linkage between scientific institutions and village communities.
Mrs. Saroj Devi, Chairperson, Zila Parishad, Buxar, stressed the need to promote natural farming and resource-conserving technologies at the grassroots level. She emphasized that elected representatives and farming communities must work together to improve soil health, reduce cultivation costs, and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for rural households. She also encouraged wider dissemination of successful agricultural innovations among farmers.
Agriculture must move from input-intensive production systems to knowledge-intensive and resource-efficient systems. Natural farming, balanced nutrient management, water conservation, and climate-resilient technologies will be key drivers of sustainable agricultural growth in the coming decades. ICAR-RCER is committed to providing scientific solutions that empower farmers while safeguarding soil, water, and environmental health,” stated Dr. Anup Das, Director, ICAR-RCER, Patna. He further assured to join hands with public representatives to facilitate the wider dissemination and adoption of improved agricultural technologies at farmers’ fields.
Zila Parishad members expressed their willingness to work closely with ICAR-RCER in adopting selected villages for technology demonstration, capacity building, natural farming promotion, nutrition garden development, water conservation, and sustainable livelihood enhancement. They noted that coordinated efforts at the village level could bring visible improvements in agricultural productivity, environmental conservation, and farmers’ income.
Welcoming the participants, Dr. Ashutosh Upadhyaya, Head, Division of Land and Water Management, highlighted the importance of conserving agricultural land, restoring soil health, and promoting sustainable farming practices to address emerging challenges in agriculture.
A presentation on the principles and practices on natural farming for benefits of farmers was delivered by Dr. Shivani. The programme featured exhibitions on various components of sustainable soil health management, multiple stress-tolerant crop varieties, Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), and efficient water management practices. To mitigate the adverse effects of drought, farmers were provided with seeds of the drought-tolerant rice variety Swarna Shreya, along with vegetable seeds and planting materials. A farmer’s guide on Natural Farming was released on the occasion for benefiting the participants. Participants visited the institute’s technology exhibition and research farms, where they were exposed to a range of farmer-centric innovations including natural farming, Fruit-based Nutri-garden, Integrated Farming System (IFS) models, and women centric innovative homestead models. The public representatives appreciated the Institute’ efforts in developing useful models and technologies for efficient resource use & farmers’ livelihood improvement. They expressed their desires to disseminate such nature friendly approaches in their respective districts in collaboration with ICAR-RCER, Patna.
More than 75 participants, including 13 Zila Parishad members, Chairmen (Zila Parishad) and farmers participated in the programme and expressed keen interest in adopting sustainable agricultural technologies promoted by the institute. Dr. Abhay Kumar, Dr. Shivani, Dr. Devkaran, Dr. P. K. Sundaram, Dr. Dhiraj Kumar Singh, Dr. Kumari Shubha, and Dr. Arti Kumari successfully coordinated the event. “The programme was coordinated by Dr. Arti Kumari, and the vote of thanks was proposed by Dr. Dhiraj Kumar Singh”, said Sh. Umesh Kumar Mishra, Member Secretary, Media, ICAR-RCER, Patna.
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