RAU to develop hi-tech horticulture complex soon

PATNA: Rajendra Agriculture University (RAU), Pusa, will soon develop a hi-tech horticulture
complex housing 10 Green Houses in one and half
hectare of land to raise productivity of vegetables and fruits three-four times more under controlled condition.

RAU vice-chancellor M L Chaudhary said that under the hi-tech horticulture complex project, the objective was to enhance the productivity with adequate breeding and commercial production of vegetables with fine packaging to seek good market. This exercise would entail research and also training to select farmers, who can sustain this in the initial phases.

Chaudhary said Green Houses would be created at 10 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and the programme would be called Participatory Development Programme in which the farmers who would be given breeder seeds and trained in producing breeder seeds. He added that the state government was supporting RAU in this venture of seed replacement under which the farmers would be givenbreeder seeds to enhance yields in their farms.

For the training programmes, the farmers would be registered with the respective KVKs, he said, adding that RAU has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Seeds Corporation to sell the breeder seeds produced at the hi-tech Green Houses.

Chaudhary said that RAU would organise its 6th convocation on March 3, 2009, in which three agriculture scientists of repute would be honoured with DSc. The scientists to be honoured are: Planning Commission member V L Chopra, Agriculture Scientist Recruitment Board chairman C D Mayee and K L Chaddha who is known as Father of Horticulture Science. He said chief scientific adviser, government of India, R Chidambaram, would be the chief guest at the convocation where 20 agriculture and veterinary pass outs would be given gold medals, 28 PhD, 75 MSc and 277 BSc, agriculture, degrees.

He said that RAU would have a new milk parlour and the capacity of its dairy plant would be trebled with value additions to the products.

Source : Times of India