Scientist-Farmer Interaction on Rabi Priorities and Sustainable Agriculture held at ICAR-ATARI, Ludhiana
Ludhiana, 14 September 2026: A Scientist-Farmer Interaction Meeting was organized today at ICAR-ATARI, Ludhiana, under the chairmanship of Dr. M. L. Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, along with Dr. Rajbir Singh, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), ICAR. The meeting focused on identifying priorities for the upcoming Rabi season, sustainable agriculture, and crop residue management.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Parvender Sheoran, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Ludhiana. Dr. J. P. S. Gill, Vice-Chancellor, GADVASU, Directors of Research and Extension from PAU and GADVASU, Heads of KVKs, SMSs, scientists, farmers and farm women participated in the interaction.
During the interaction, Dr. M. L. Jat emphasized a bottom-up approach for identifying agricultural priorities, with district-level consultations to be consolidated at the state and national levels. He stressed the need for adequate availability of high-yielding varieties through increased seed production, promotion of oilseed seed production, and crop diversification.
Crop residue management and prevention of stubble burning emerged as key areas of discussion. Dr. Jat called for district-specific action plans, effective coordination among stakeholders, need-based deployment of farm machinery, and identification of the root causes of residue burning. He emphasized providing farmers with practical and locally suitable in-situ and ex-situ residue management options.
The meeting also discussed low-emission agriculture, soil health, sustainable rice-wheat systems, crop diversification, and carbon-credit incentives. The meeting highlighted the contribution of 2,550 farmers who received Sustainability Premiums for adopting sustainable practices and generating carbon credits, and called for recognizing and showcasing their success stories to inspire wider adoption.
Dr. Rajbir Singh highlighted the strengthening of KVKs as district-level nodal units and emphasized their role as a strong frontline extension interface between research and farmers. The meeting underscored the importance of stakeholder convergence, scientific evidence, robust data systems, and farmer-centric solutions for sustainable agricultural development.
The Scientist-Farmer Interaction provided an important platform for direct dialogue between scientists, extension professionals, and farming communities, enabling field-level concerns and priorities to be incorporated into future agricultural planning and interventions.
