India, Feb. 23 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
An important press conference was held today at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi regarding the 'Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2026'. Addressing the press conference, Dr. C.H. Srinivas Rao, Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, informed that the 'Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2026' is being organised from 25th to 27th February 2026 at the Mela Ground in the Pusa campus. He said that this three-day fair will be inaugurated by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan on 25th February. On the closing day of the fair, i.e. 27th February, Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Shri Bhagirath Choudhary will visit various exhibitions.
Addressing the press conference, IARI Director Dr. C.H. Srinivasa Rao said that this year's theme of the fair is "Developed Agriculture - Self-Reliant India," which focuses on sustainable, climate-resilient, and income-driven agricultural development to strengthen farmers' livelihoods and enhance national food security. He said that more than 100,000 farmers from across the country are expected to attend the fair.
He stated that over 200 stalls from IARI, other ICAR institutes, and various state agricultural universities will be set up at the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2026. A question-and-answer session will also be organized during the fair to educate farmers on modern agricultural techniques and innovations. He added that urban residents will be educated on how to easily adopt vertical farming, enabling them to effectively grow vegetables in limited areas, such as balconies.
The fair will also have special sessions on futuristic topics like Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Agriculture, where farmers will be able to get their doubts resolved through question-answer sessions with experts. It may be noted that 2026 is the 'International Year of Women Farmers', hence special programmes have been organised at the three-day fair to motivate women farmers and Self Help Groups (SHGs) towards entrepreneurship and startups, thereby connecting them with new opportunities in value addition, processing and marketing.
Dr. Rao emphasized that agriculture cannot be limited to just "food security" today, but must become a key pillar of "nutritional security" and "wealth creation." Various exhibitions will be held at the fair to encourage farmers in this direction.
Citing India's $60 billion a year in agricultural exports, he said farmers will be encouraged to produce at global standards to further increase this figure. Furthermore, suggestions will be sought from farmers to ensure that students' studies and research at agricultural universities focus on their real-life problems.
The institute has made extensive arrangements for the convenience of farmers attending the fair. Free transportation from the institute gate to the fair site, free accommodation and meals are available for registered farmers.
Seeds of improved varieties of rice, millet, and mung beans, as well as vegetables like okra, gourd, bitter gourd, and cucumber, will be available for sale at the fair. To avoid inconvenience to farmers carrying heavy seed packets, e-vehicles have been arranged on the premises for delivery.
To encourage innovation, the fair will feature the first-ever "IARI-Young Innovative Farmer Award." Seven progressive farmers will be honored with the IARI Fellow Farmer Award and 36 with the Innovative Farmer Award.
It should be noted that this fair will also serve as a powerful medium for disseminating government schemes such as micro-irrigation, crop diversification, and digital farming to farmers. Senior institute officials Dr. P.S. Brahmanand, Dr. R.N. Padaria, and Dr. Ram Swarup Bana were also present at the press conference.
Disclaimer: The original story of this translated version is available on Press Information Bureau.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
