Visit of Minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries to CSIR-IHBT

Visit of Minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Agriculture, Animal
Husbandry and Fisheries to CSIR-IHBT

Hon’ble Shri Virendra Kanwar, Minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Agriculture,
Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Government of Himachal Pradesh visited CSIR-Himalayan Institute of Bioresource Technology, Palampur on 17th June 2021.

On this occasion, the Minister observed the research and field activities and had discussion with the scientists of the institute. He appreciated the work and achievements of the institute and expressed hope that along with rural development, CSIR-IHBT would make active contribution in increasing the income of farmers and making them self-reliant. He also assured full cooperation from
the state government to the institute.

• Earlier, Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Director, CSIR-IHBT welcomed the Hon’ble Minister and
  appraised about the achievements of the institute related to research and developments.
• In presentation, he told that the institute is playing a leading role in the field of floriculture.
  Thousands of people have been connected in the field of floriculture and honey production.
  
• Apart from this, institute has been providing planting material to the farmers for the
  cultivation of asafoetida in Lahaul and Spiti district and saffron in Chamba, Kullu and Mandi
  districts of the state. Along with this, institute has also started commercially important ‘Spice
  Crops Cultivation Program’. He said development in the field of spices not only provide
  employment to the youth, but would also increase the income of farmers.
  Further he said that Institute is playing an active role in increasing the income of farmers in
  the rural areas of Himachal Pradesh by cultivating and processing aromatic crops like wild
  marigold, damask rose, lemon grass, Sugandhabala etc. This would help framers in getting
  more income as compared to the traditional crops. Apart from this, institute has also
  developed products containing iron, protein and fiber for nutrition. Cultivation of shitake
  mushroom, rich in vitamin D, is being promoted and the products made from them are also being delivered to the general public and industrial units through MSMEs.
• On this occasion, Dr. Ajay Kumar Sharma, Secretary, Agriculture Department, Shri Rakesh Kanwar, Special Secretary, (Agriculture), Shri Naresh Thakur, Director, Agriculture
  Department, Dr. Ajmer Singh Dogra, Director, Animal Husbandry Department and Dr. Rajeshwar Chandel, Program Director, Natural Farming, were also present with the Minister and interacted with the Director and scientists of the Institute.