Agriculture seminar suggests including fruit, vegetables in crop rotation

There is a need to come out of the paddy-wheat rotation and diversify to vegetables and fruit production to save the natural resources and soil health in the Punjab.

This was emphasised here today by B S Ahloowalia, former consultant, FAO-IAEA (Food and Agriculture Organization-International Atomic Energy Agency), Vienna, Austria, while delivering a lecture on "Indian agriculture: the challenge to sustain production and enhance quality" under the auspices of Punjab Agriculture University Science Club.

Ahloowalia talked of tremendous opportunities to export organically grown fruit and vegetables.

He emphasised on efficient management of land, labour and water resources; adoption of low-cost technologies; contract farming; re-orientation of processing, marketing, education and extension activities with a focus to provide rural employment, production and distribution of high-quality seeds.

Dean (Postgraduate Studies) and Chairman, PAU Science Club, S S Chahal presided over the function.

He called for favourable government policies, adoption of low-cost technologies, value-addition, seed distribution, agri-business/agri-marketing for successful diversification of agriculture.

He stressed on sustainability of agriculture and identified major challenges facing agriculture.