Chandigarh, April 21- Noted agriculture scientists Dr. N.N. Singh and Dr. Sain Das were felicitated with lifetime achievement awards and Dr. J.C. Shekhar was honoured with Meritorious Scientist Award at annual maize workshop under All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar today.
While inaugurating the workshop, Dr. R.S. Paroda, Chairman, Haryana Kisan Ayog urged the agricultural scientists to accelerate maize production to meet the anticipated rise in demand. He said that although today India was in a position to export maize to other countries, there was an urgent need to step up productivity of maize to meet the projected demand of nearly 45 million tonnes by 2030.
He said that this was not very difficult target to achieve. “We have doubled the maize production in last one decade”, he said, adding that with the kind of genetic material and research facilities available the scientist should achieve the target in next five years.
He said that increase in the production of maize would provide food to the people alongwith nutrition protection. It could also be utilized as poultry feed and bio-fuel. He said that farmers could produce six to seven tonnes of maize through spring maize farming.
On this occasion, Regional Research Station, Uchani in district Kaithal of CCSHAU was honoured as the best centre. Besides, Punjab Agricultural University, G.B. Pant Agricultural University, Banaras Hindu University, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, BPKS, Almora, Haryana Agricultural University and Chandra Shekhar Azad Universityof Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur were honoured with certificates of merit for developing and releasing improved hybrids and varities of maize. A Journal of Maize and nearly 20 books were also released on this occasion.