Kochi, Sep 3 (NationPress) The upcoming Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA), initiated by the Union Ministry of Agriculture, aims to implement district-specific climate-smart advisories and innovations tailored for farmers in Kerala. This campaign is scheduled to take place from October 3 to October 18 across 14 districts in the state.

These climate-smart advisories are designed to assist farmers in adopting effective measures related to water management, pest and disease monitoring, soil health preservation, and the development of bio-inputs in agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries, as explained by experts during a state-level webinar hosted by ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).

The webinar highlighted that beyond climate challenges, the escalating problem of wild boar attacks on farms is significantly threatening the agricultural sector and the livelihoods dependent on it.

Participants included representatives from the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, state agriculture departments, fisheries, animal husbandry, dairy development, and various ICAR research institutes like CMFRI, Kerala Agriculture University, Veterinary University, Fisheries University, along with Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).

The roadmap of the campaign emphasizes crop diversification, the development of a robust technology framework, and collaboration among different agencies.

This initiative will unite agricultural scientists, government officials, specialists, and resource managers to tackle the issues and challenges faced by farmers in the state.

Furthermore, the campaign seeks to promote government schemes, share commercially viable technologies, identify research areas, and document farmer innovations.

Agricultural and allied sectors in Kerala, including plantation crops, food crops, fisheries, animal husbandry, and dairying, are expected to reap benefits from this two-week campaign.

Dr. Grinson George, Director of CMFRI and Nodal Officer of VKSA for Kerala, stated during the webinar that the campaign's key goal is to raise awareness of innovative technologies and pinpoint researchable issues directly from the field.

This campaign is a collaborative effort that will draw on scientific expertise from ICAR research institutes, coordination from various state departments, technical assistance from state agricultural universities, and district-level leadership from KVKs.