IMPHAL: In recognition of its experts’ contribution towards increasing yield of mustard seeds, Iroisemba-based Central Agricultural University (CAU), Imphal has been conferred the Mahindra Samridhi India Agri National Award, 2017.
Apart from bagging the honour for CAU’s efforts to do away with the trend of leaving the fields barren after the paddy harvest season, the varsity’s vice chancellor Dr M Premjit has also been presented with the Dr Daulat Singh Memorial Extension Education Excellence Award.
The awards, consisting of Rs 2.11 lakh and citation, were handed over to Dr Premjit and CAU deputy director (research) Dr Th Robindro by Union agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister Radha Mohan during an awards presentation function held on February 2 at Ashoka Hotel, New Delhi.
Dr Premjit informed that the awards were announced during the eighth National Extension Education Congress held from January 28 to 31 at National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad.
Stating that the awards are presented to agricultural experts and institutions in acknowledgement of their role in effective implementation of system of education, research and extension management, he highlighted that apart from increasing yield of mustard seeds by incorporating the technique of rearing bees within or near the mustard plantation fields such method are farmer friendly in terms of investment.
As mustard could be planted by merely sprinkling the seeds without ploughing the field, Dr Premjit maintained that CAU’s initiative of growing mustard crop has benefited a number of farmers, who earlier used to leave their fields barren after harvesting paddy.
The awards are fruits of CAU’s endeavour for increasing yield of mustard plants, honey production as and improving financial position of the farmers in the past five years, he observed.
Source: The People’s Chronicle
