ICAR to shift DMR to Ludhiana

Chandigarh, August 29, 2012:  Realising the paramount significance of diversification of agriculture in Punjab at this critical juncture, the Government of India has decided to shift the Directorate of Maize Research (DMR) from Delhi to Ladowal near Ludhiana.

Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has informed the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal regarding the decision through a DO letter addressed to the latter adding Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has been asked to shift the DMR to Ladowal on the land adjoining to Borlaug Institute of South East Asia (BISA).

Expressing gratitude to Pawar, the Chief Minister in a communiqué said the shifting of DMR would greatly strengthen the research on Maize and would be highly beneficial to Punjab and its farmer as the state government was in the forefront to enhance the area under Maize cultivation and considerably decrease the area under Paddy in order to provide farmers with an alternative crop.

Badal hoped that this initiative would go a long way in motivating the Punjab farmers to wean them away from the wheat-paddy rotation by switching over to alternate crops in order to give the much needed push towards heralding a second green revolution in the form of diversification of agriculture in the state.

It may be recalled that Badal in his previous letter to the Union Agriculture Minister had apprised him about the over exploitation of the natural resources in terms of soil and water of the state up to the danger mark in order to transform the country from food deficit country to the food surplus one by producing bumper paddy crop after the Green Revolution.

Of late, the soil has also started showing signs of multi nutrient deficiencies particularly in micro-nutrients. Attributing all the ill effects of the plundering of state’s natural resources coupled with depleting underground water table and the degradation of soil’s quality due to massive paddy cultivation, the Chief Minister had impressed upon Pawar to shift DMR in the state to promote Maize cultivation as this ‘kharif crop of future’ holds the suitable potential to replace the Rice.