GEKU, 9 Sep: The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) here in Upper Siang conducted an intensified village outreach programme under the ICAR-IARI NEH programme from 5 to 9 September. During the programme, the team reached farmers in some of the remote and geographically challenging areas of the district.

The outreach initiative covered farming communities in Geku and adjoining villages, as well as Komkar, Adi-Pasi, Damro, Mariyang, Millang, Dalbing, Kolung, Gobuk, Simong, Yingkiong and adjoining villages, and Tuting. In a statement, the KVK said the programme helped create a wide network for the last-mile delivery of agricultural technologies, quality planting material and location-specific technical advisories.

A key intervention under the programme was the training and distribution of "Pusa Beej" vegetable seed kits to farmers. The kits contain quality vegetable seeds of improved varieties developed by the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, New Delhi, providing farmers with access to scientifically developed planting material and an opportunity to diversify their vegetable production.

The village-level programmes combined practical training with input support, enabling farmers to understand not only what to grow but also how to grow it scientifically. Along with the distribution of Pusa Beej vegetable seed kits, KVK scientists provided hands-on, field-oriented guidance covering key disciplines, including Horticulture, Agronomy, Soil Science, Animal Science and Farm Management.

The programme also introduced farmers to Kisan Sarathi, an integrated digital agro-advisory platform that facilitates direct access to KVK experts, enabling farmers to seek timely, location-specific and need-based advisories on crops, livestock and other farming-related issues.

Speaking during the outreach activities, KVK scientists emphasised that quality seed is the foundation of successful crop production, but its impact is maximised only when farmers receive appropriate technical knowledge and continued field-level handholding.