Jhansi: Amid scientific projections of possible Super El Niño-like conditions, UP agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi urged farmers in the drought-prone Bundelkhand region to adopt natural farming, reduce dependence on water-intensive crops and prioritise pulses and oilseeds to minimise the impact of a potential dry spell.Addressing a farmers’ awareness programme on ‘Drought, El Niño Impact and Save the Fields Campaign’ at Rani Durgavati Medical College in Banda, on Thursday, Shahi said farmers must prepare in advance to tackle challenges posed by erratic weather and water scarcity. The event was attended by minister of state for Jal Shakti Ramkesh Nishad, senior agriculture officials, scientists and hundreds of farmers from across the Chitrakoot division.Interacting with 10 progressive farmers, the minister listened to their experiences in adopting innovative and sustainable agricultural practices. He said the slogan ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan’ should be the guiding principle to make farmers self-reliant.Shahi said UP is the country’s largest producer of foodgrains for past eight years and Bundelkhand, which once relied on trains for drinking water supply, has witnessed significant improvement due to irrigation and water management projects.Referring to scientific forecasts indicating the possibility of Super El Niño conditions for the first time since 1946-47, Shahi advised farmers to shift towards low water-consuming crops, particularly pulses and oilseeds, to reduce climate-related risks. He also urged them to adopt natural farming methods and avoid excessive use of chemical fertilisers to preserve soil fertility.The minister appealed to farmers not to burn crop residue, saying stubble burning adversely affects soil health. Citing agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan, he emphasised balanced fertiliser use and adopting natural farming techniques such as Beejamrit and Jeevamrit.Earlier in the day, Shahi inaugurated 54 newly constructed residential quarters at Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, built at a cost of about Rs 26.84 crore. He said modern infrastructure was essential for strengthening agricultural education, research and innovation.During a review of ongoing infrastructure projects, the minister directed executing agencies for timely and quality completion of all projects. He stressed close coordination between university administration and construction agencies for timely resolution of technical and administrative issues.Vice-Chancellor Prof S V S Raju assured the minister that all directions would be implemented and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to emerging as one of the country’s leading institutions in agricultural education, research and innovation.
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