ICAR-CIBA in collaboration with Departments of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries & Fishermen Welfare Government of Puducherry Union Territory conducted a State Level Conference on Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan at the Botanical Gardens, Puducherry, on 1st February 2026. The objective of the conference is to assess the current status of the agriculture, veterinary, dairy, and fisheries sectors in Puducherry UT and to formulate a state action plan cum strategic roadmap for their sustainable growth and development in alignment with the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047. The conference was well attended by more than 150 participants consisted of the farmers, officials of the development departments, scientists and academicians from agriculture and allied sectors, officials from State Departments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and other related developmental organizations.
Shri. Choudhary Mohammed Yasin IAS, Secretary Agriculture Cum Director of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of Puducherry chaired the meeting along with Dr Kuldeep Kumar Lal Director ICAR CIBA and State Modal Officer VKSA for Puducherry UT. In his address the secretary emphasized the importance of Viksit Bharat and the joint efforts of farmers with the support of the State Department of Agriculture and allied sectors like Animal Husbandry and Dairy, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Research and Development institutes required to plan and implement a coordinated action plan for increasing the productivity and production of crops especially pulses, oil seeds and integration of animal husbandry and fisheries for the balanced sustainable development of the primary sector in the UT.
Dr Kuldeep Kumar Lal in his address highlighted that Honourable Union Mister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has initiated the pre-seasonal engagement with farmers by the researchers, KVKs and development departments to transfer the technologies from the labs-to-land and identify the field requirements to re-orient the research programmes of the R&D institutions. The conference is organised in that direction to develop a state action plan and road-map for the balanced development of primary sector in the Puducherry UT. He asserted that the ICAR institutions would joint hands with the state departments of Puducherry UT to accomplish the above stated goal on a mission mode approach.
A panel discussion was held to highlight the aspects of National Mission on Edible Oils, National Mission on Pulses, AYUSH, Agri Stock, Fertilizer leak, FPO etc. towards planning programmes for the development of agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries and aquaculture in the UT. Dr S Ravi Head KVK Puducherry and Shri Chezian Babu Additional Director of Agriculture moderated the panel discussions in which many farmers queries were replied involving experts from various fields like Shri S Jayasankar Additional Director of Agriculture ( LUP and QC), Shri T Ramanadane Head, KVK Karaikal, Dr R Sankar, Dean PAJANCOA Karaikal, Dr K Murugavel Dean, RIVER Puducherry, Dr G Lata Mangeshkar, Director Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of Puducherry, and Shri G Rajendiran Deputy Director of Fisheries.
Shri Jayaraman Progressive Farmer from Puducherry highlighted the natural and organic farming efforts undertaken by the farmers association and the support extended by the Union government in promoting their cause.
Scientists from ICAR CIBA including Dr M Kailasam Head FCD, Dr K Ambasankar Head NGBD, Dr Akshay Panigrahi Principal Scientist CCD, Dr T Satish Kumar Scientist AAHED also participated in the Panel discussion. Dr C V Sairam and Dr M Kumaran Principal Scientists SSD coordinated the Conference in association with Dr S Ravi Head KVK Puducherry and his team and Shri G Shanmugavel Joint Director of Agriculture Government of Puducherry.
