Solving the Problems of Farmers should be Research Focus: Dr Kokate

The 21st meeting of the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) of ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region (ICAR-RCER), Patna, began on July 2, 2025. The three-day event was inaugurated under the chairmanship of Dr. K.D. Kokate, Former Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), ICAR, New Delhi.

Distinguished committee members present included Dr. Masood Ali, Former Director, Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur; Dr. S.D. Singh, Former Assistant Director General (Fisheries), ICAR; Dr. K.N. Tiwari, Former Professor, IIT Kharagpur; and Dr. S. Kumar, Former Head, ICAR-RCER Research Centre, Ranchi. Dr. A. Velmurugan, Assistant Director General (Natural Resource Management), ICAR, New Delhi, also participated virtually.

During the meeting, Heads of Divisions of ICAR-RCER, Patna; Research Centre Ranchi; KVK, Buxar and KVK, Ramgarh presented their ongoing research initiatives and project achievements.

The Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Kokate, appreciated the research efforts being undertaken by the institute. He highlighted the complex challenges such as the impact of climate change, limited resources, unstable markets, and small and fragmented land holdings. He emphasized that only such research is successful that strengthens farmers’ livelihoods and provides them with practical solutions. He underscored the importance of the concept of "Wealth from Waste" in the agricultural sector and stated that scientific management of agricultural waste can not only enhance productivity but also help achieve environmental protection and sustainable development goals. He also stressed the need for the extensive use of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning to make agricultural research more impactful and future-oriented.

Dr. A. Velmurugan, Assistant Director General (Natural Resource Management), ICAR, New Delhi, appreciated the research work being conducted by the institute and suggested further strengthening of research on key aspects such as development of farmer-centric economic models, soil nutrient and moisture profile studies in rice-fallow areas, value chain development, and "Wealth from Waste."

During the meeting, various experts provided important suggestions related to their respective fields. Dr. Masood Ali emphasized increasing greenery in rice-fallow areas and stressed the need to explore the potential of integrated farming system models across various districts of the eastern region. Dr. S. Kumar considered the Silver Jubilee of the institute as a significant milestone and stressed the need to adopt and evaluate a System Productivity Optimization Index. Dr. K.N. Tiwari highlighted the need to assess groundwater and soil quality in the coal mining areas of Jharkhand, particularly focusing on arsenic contamination in groundwater in the eastern region. Meanwhile, Dr. S.D. Singh emphasized strengthening research in post-harvest processing and reducing losses in agriculture and allied sectors.

Earlier, Dr. Anup Das, Director of the Institute, welcomed the Chairman and members of the Research Advisory Committee and presented a brief overview of the achievements of the institute over the past 25 years. He stated that in the future, the institute's primary goal would be to promote smart and future-ready agricultural systems by adopting advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to make agriculture more sustainable and profitable.

The Chairman and members of the committee visited the institute's fields, research trial sites, and laboratories, where Heads and scientists of the respective divisions provided insights into progressive research activities. On this occasion, the exhibition organized by the institute was also visited. During the program, two extension folders were released, and a significant Memorandum of Understanding related to mushrooms was exchanged. The program concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Kamal Sharma, Member Secretary, Research Advisory Committee