The India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) is organizing Krishi Expo 2005 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, from 9-13 March 2005, in close association with the Ministry of Agriculture, for the benefit of the farmers and others, having a stake in agriculture. The main objective for organizing this Expo is to exhibit/highlight the latest agricultural technologies developed in the country and policies and programmes of the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India for the benefit of the visitors who would include farmers, scientists, extension professionals and general public.
Deriving inspiration from the much emphasis given by the Hon. Agriculture Minister Shri Sharad Pawar recently, on bringing a second green revolution in the country through diversification of Indian Agriculture the organizers have chosen the theme of Krishi Expo, 2005 to be “Diversified Agriculture: towards higher income.” Traditional production of cereals has not helped in increasing farmers’ income and has resulted in many problems relating to deterioration of soil health, soil fertility, excessive exploitation of underground water and huge stock of food grain in the central reserve pool. Diversified agriculture will lead us into high value/more remunerative crops like Oilseeds, Pulses, Horticulture, Floriculture, Medicinal and Aromatic plants, based on comparative advantages of the agro-climatic conditions, market access, domestic and international demand. Government of India is providing incentives to the farmers to diversify to oilseeds, pulses and horticulture crops. Creation of marketing infrastructure for preservation, transportation, grading, processing, packaging and quality control is also being encouraged to meet the requirements of diversified agriculture. As announced in the Budget Speech by the Finance Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture would prepare a roadmap for agriculture diversification focusing on fruits, vegetables, flowers, dairy, poultry, fisheries, pulses and oilseeds, Ministry would also launch much awaited National Horticulture Mission by April, 2005 with an allocation of Rs.630 crore in year 2005-06. The Finance Minister has also announced the introduction of a new scheme called Development/Strengthening of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure, Grading and Standardization with an allocation of Rs.72 crore.
The Ministry of Agriculture has showcased its policies and programmes by setting up an exhibition in the Agriculture Pavillion located in Pragati Maidan and Hall No.5 hired from the ITPO. In the open spaces outside these halls, latest agricultural machinery and equipments have been put on a display by various agencies and tractor manufactures. Apart from the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Department of Agricultural Research and Education (Indian Council of Agriculture Research), other Ministries such as the Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Food and Public Distribution etc. and different Public Sector Undertakings/Cooperatives/Agencies including financial institutions/banks are also participating in the Expo,.
Apart from the Thematic Display, perhaps the most attractive part of Krishi Expo would be the presentation of IPM practices by the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage, Faridabad and publicity of Agriculture Marketing Courses by NIAM, Jaipur. NOVOD Board has arranged publicity of cultivation of bio-diesel plants and its commercial exploitation including the practical demonstration bio-diesel extraction machinery and a bio-diesel operated tractor produced by Escorts Ltd. Directorate of Marketing & Inspection, NCDC, National Horticulture Board, National Seeds Corporation, Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium, NAFED, TCIL, MANAGE, Hyderabad, Coconut Development Board, Cochin, All India Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, National Committee on Plasticulture Application in Horticulture, Directorate of Cashewnut Development, Cochin, Directorate of Spices & Arecanut, Kozhikode, FICCI, Himalayan Action Research Centre, Dehradun, Institute of Studies & Transformations, Ahmedabad, Rashtriya Kisan Sangthan, Delhi, Jyoti Granmodyog Sansthan, Saharanpur, Gramin Vikas Kendra, Nalanda, NGOs Coordination Federation, Srinagar, Swami Kalyan Dev Granmothan Smiti, Mujaffarnagar, GDC Rural Research Foundation, Jaipur, Janasewa Foundation, Pune, ATMA, Adilabad, ATMA, Patna, ATMA, Shimla, ATMA, Jalandhar, ATMA, Khurda, ATMA, Amravati, Directorates of Agriculture from UP< HP, MP and Orissa, Deptts. Of Watershed Development from Maharashtra and Karnataka IWDP, Solan, IWDP, Dehradun, Indo-German Bilateral Project, Nagpur University of Agriculture Sciences, Dharwad, Agri-watch, and National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation, Nasik are also going to mark their presence in the Expo.
The ITPO has activated Hall No.4 in Pragati Maidan for the participation of private sector agencies, State Governments and PSUs/Autonomous Organizations in this Expo. In this hall the biggest presence would be of the Agencies of Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 135 sq.mt. area, Agriculture Department of Uttar Pradesh with 12 stalls and Agriculture Department of Karnataka with 6 stalls. A number of input dealers, seed suppliers, pesticides dealers, exporters, processed food manufacturers etc. would also have their presence in this area.
Every day one Seminar would also be organized in the Expo in the afternoon, from 2.30 pm onwards at Pragati Auditorium in the Main Administrative Building of ITPO. Seminar on 9 March would be on Bio-diesel and Bio-fuel, organized by NOVOD Board. On 10 March it would be on Micro-irrigation organized by the National Committee on Plasiculture Application on Horticulture. On 11 March the topic of the seminar would be on Dryland Agriculture Technology organized by the Crops Division. On 12 March it would focus on the New initiatives in Extension organized by the DOE and on 13 March on Agriculture Marketing under aegis of the Directorate of Marketing.
The last Krishi Expo was organized in 2003 at Pragati Maidan in which more than 100,000 farmers/visitors from different parts of the country visited and benefited from it. This year also it is expected that a large number of farmers/visitors would be visiting the Expo from different parts of the country to see and know the latest agricultural technologies for application in their field. To facilitate the visit of farmers arrangements have been made to provide them a free entry into Pragati Maidan during the period of Krishi Expo. Intimation regarding arrival of the farmers including women from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttaranchal, Haryana, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh has already been received.
A Steering Committee headed by the Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation has provided guidance for the organization of this Expo.
UM/RC/Hb