PANAJI
Deputy Director General (DDG) of the ICAR headquarters in New Delhi called for an integrated farming system to be promoted in the coastal region.Being held in the State for the first time, the Natural Resources Meeting (NRM) of Directors of research institutes from across the country is being held at the ICAR-CCARI (ICAR- Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute) on Monday and Tuesday, with discussions on how to best implement the concept of integrated farming along the coastal region.“Through our discussions, we can see how best to integrate natural resources with improved productivity and quality. It is also important to explore the integrated farming system that will definitely be a good component to the system. It will certainly work, but only if we work together and see how best to implement it,” he said.He also called for the integrating of State and Central schemes in the effective working of an integrated farming system. “The ICAR here in Goa has managed to inculcate State schemes in the functioning of its institute. These resources need to be emulated by other institutes in the country. In addition, this will bring the institution closer to the State machinery as well,” said Dr Sikka. Speaking at the launch of the two-day meeting, ICAR-CCRI director Dr Narendra P Singh called for a synergy between the institutes involved to create “a roadmap to link the different institutes and develop a framework on how to go ahead with it.”He also called for a social linkage to the research and work being undertaken by the institutes. While 80% of the work is in the lab the rest is on the field, he said. Other institutes taking part in the two-day meeting includes the Indian Institute of Water Management, Central Agro Forestry Research Institute and Indian Institute of Soil Science as well as ICAR headquarters.
