Himalaya Harbinger, Uttarakhand Bureau.
The four-day All India Farmers’ Fair and Agro-Industrial Exhibition organized by the university concluded today with an award distribution ceremony held at Gandhi Hall.
The Chief Guest of the ceremony was Vice Chancellor Dr. Manmohan Singh Chauhan. Also present on the dais were Dr. Jitendra Kwatra, Director of Extension Education; Dr. Subhash Chandra, Director of Research; Dr. Sukhcharan Singh, an alumnus from the 1963 batch of the College of Agriculture; and progressive farmer from Almora Mrs. Geetanjali Bhoj.
Vice Chancellor Dr. Chauhan congratulated Dr. Jitendra Kwatra and his team for successfully organizing the 118th All India Farmers’ Fair. He credited the Fair’s historic success for the contributions by all deans, directors, comptroller, Director Administration & Monitoring, faculty members, students, security officers and numerous staff members.
He stated that Pantnagar University has always been committed to increasing farmers’ income, promoting sustainable agricultural development, and enhancing rural prosperity. According to him, the farmers fair is not just a platform for showcasing technologies but also serves as a medium for dialogue and innovation among farmers, scientists, and the industrial sector.
Dr. Chauhan urged farmers to adopt modern techniques alongside traditional farming methods, emphasizing the importance of crop diversification, climate-smart agriculture, and value addition to make farming more profitable. He highlighted that the university helps not only to the 6 million farmers of Uttarakhand but also to farmers across the country, as it is the first agricultural university in India with strong infrastructure and a sense of responsibility. He called upon all scientists to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly and announced that the next farmers fair would be extended from four to five days.
On this occasion, progressive farmer Mrs. Geetanjali Bhoj and alumnus Dr. Sukhcharan Singh shared their experiences with the audience.
The program began with a welcome address by Dr. Jitendra Kwatra, who provided information about the four-day fair. He mentioned that 575 stalls were set up, and seeds worth Rs. 1.45 crore were sold during the event. A total of 37,800 farmers, both registered and unregistered, visited the fair.
The Chief Guest honoured with Best Stall Award to M/s Jai Gurudev Industries, Rudrapur and Best Performance Award to M/s Jaswant Agriculture Works, Punjab. The Best Group award was given to the Ladies Club of Pantnagar. In addition, winners of various competitions and stall categories held during the fair were also awarded first, second, and third prizes. First Lady of the University and President of the Ladies Club, Smt. Veena Chauhan mentioned that the funds raised by the club during the fair are used for social upliftment and charitable purposes. The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Subhash Chandra, Director of Research.
