Jalukie: The ICAR Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Peren, hosted a day-long horticulture fair at its office in Jalukie. The event took place as part of the Krishi Swarna Samriddhi Week programme. The aim of the event was to encourage sustainable farming and improve farmers’ incomes in Peren district. Dr. Patu K. Zeliang, ACTO-GPB, KVK Peren, chaired the fair. He said that there is a gulf of difference between growing fruits and vegetables.
Dr. Prashant Kalal, SMS-Fruit Science, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables and encouraging farmers to grow perennial crops for a stable income. C. Dory Yanthan, DFO/PD-ATMA, Peren, spoke about how horticulture can boost the earnings of small and marginal farmers. Dr. I. Shakuntala, Dean of the College of Veterinary Science at CAU, Jalukie, explained the importance of post-harvest processing, packaging, and market linkage for fruits and vegetables.
Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) from different areas have set up several stalls, which were evaluated by officials from the Department of Horticulture and KVK staff. The best stalls were awarded prizes, with winners including FPO Peren, FPO Jalukie, FPO Athibung, and FPO Tening. Farmers received vegetable seed baskets containing chili, brinjal, coriander, palak, and French beans to encourage home and commercial gardening.
The horticulture fair proved a boon for the farmers as they received significant knowledge about how to improve their yield and incomes as well.
