Officials of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Kinnaur, have been directed to develop the Kalpa farm into an eco-tourism venture alongside its role in disseminating agricultural education to promote tourism. Parvinder Sheoran, Zonal Director, Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ICAR–ATARI), Zone-I, Ludhiana, made the suggestions during his recent visit to the district. He also recommended introducing additional temperate fruit crops at the farm to enhance its research and demonstration potential.
The KVK-Kinnaur is a constituent unit of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, funded by the ICAR. Sheoran reviewed the KVK’s ongoing extension, research and development programmes and held detailed discussions with scientists and staff on the implementation and progress of activities aimed at strengthening the farming sector in the tribal district. The KVK team, led by Neena Chauhan, briefed him on the centre’s achievements, ongoing demonstrations and future plans.
Sheoran visited the KVK Demonstration Farm, the Vegetable Research Station (VRS) at Kalpa and the Kisan Bhawan at Reckong Peo. At the VRS, he reviewed demonstration trials on high-density apple plantations and seed production of radish, turnip and potato being undertaken by the Kendra.
A farmer-scientist interaction was also organised at Chitkul under the month-long Khet Bachao Abhiyan, during which Sheoran shared information on improved agricultural and horticultural practices. Farmers highlighted the shortage of quality seed and their continued dependence on traditional pea sowing methods as major constraints affecting productivity. Sheoran stressed the need to establish more on-farm demonstration units using quality planting material so that farmers could directly observe the benefits of improved production technologies under field conditions.
The KVK was also advised to formulate and submit suitable projects under the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP), with provisions for distributing quality planting material to enable tribal farmers to adopt improved technologies and strengthen their livelihoods.
As part of the visit, Sheoran inspected a high-altitude demonstration trial of a high-density apple plantation using seedling rootstocks at Mastrang, located at an altitude of 3,450 metres. He reviewed the plantation’s performance under challenging agro-climatic conditions and recommended expanding such demonstrations to farmers’ fields across the district to accelerate the adoption of high-density apple orchards and other hi-tech horticultural practices.
The visit also included a review of the achievements of the month-long Khet Bachao Abhiyan, under which the KVK team carried out extensive training and extension activities across all three blocks of Kinnaur district. During the campaign, KVK personnel visited 31 panchayats covering 70 villages, creating awareness among farmers about the latest agricultural and horticultural technologies, integrated crop management, improved production practices and climate-resilient farming to enhance productivity and sustainability in the tribal region.
