Field Monitoring & Interaction Meet Organized at Farmer FIRST Cluster
Field monitoring under Farmer FIRST Programme were organized on 23rd February 2024 at Farmer FIRST cluster comprising four villages namely Malihata, Gopinathpur, Purushottapur, Ganapur of Salepur block, Cuttack district. The nodal officer of Farmer FIRST Programme from ICAR-ATARI, Kolkata, principal investigator, co-principal investigators, project personnel and participating farmers visited the plots where interventions were made under various modules like commercial vegetable cultivation, vermi-composting, pisiculture, backyard poultry farming, dairy farming, badi-making enterprises, etc. After the field visit, an interaction programme was also organized in which Dr. K.S. Das, Nodal Officer of Farmer FIRST Programme from ATARI, Kolkata emphasized value addition of farm activities for better remuneration, establishment of ‘Mushroom Spawn Unit’, soil testing for better fertilizer management, etc.
Dr. B. Mondal, Principal Investigator, Farmer FIRST Program of the Institute welcomed the guests and farmers and highlighted about Project activities at the cluster. Dr. G. Acharya, Head, Central Horticultural Experimental Station, Bhubaneswar briefly narrated on different horticultural activities conducted under the Farmer-FIRST Programme. Dr. S.C. Giri, Principal Scientist from Regional Station of Directorate of Poultry Research, Bhubaneswar described about the activities and interventions made under the animal husbandry module at the cluster. Dr. N. Chinara, from Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar spoken on mushroom production for livelihood enhancement and Dr. S. Lenka, Principal Scientist, NRRI deliberated on vermicomposting for better soil management. Few beneficiary farmers expressed their views like soil testing, better marketing facilities, creation of storage facilities, etc. Members of Self-help groups put up stalls with their products like badi, honey, ghee, etc. Project Fellows from Farmer FIRST Programme of ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack, ICAR-CIFA, Bhubaneswar; ICAR-IIWM, Bhubaneswar; and OUAT, Bhubaneswar were also present during field monitoring and interaction meet. Around 130 farmers and farm-women participated in the programme. Dr. S. Paul, Sr. Scientist offered formal vote of thanks.
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