Bareilly: The Indian Veterinary Research Institute, under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, organised its 27th Extension Council meeting at Izatnagar, bringing together agricultural experts, scientists, state officials, and progressive farmers for deliberations on strengthening extension services and technology dissemination.
The meeting focused on reviewing ongoing extension activities, formulating new strategies, and enhancing the effective transfer of scientific innovations to farmers. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Raghavendra Bhatta, Deputy Director General (Animal Science), ICAR and Director of IVRI, emphasized the critical role of extension services in bridging the gap between research and field application. He highlighted the importance of Krishi Vigyan Kendras and Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes in ensuring outreach, training, and feedback-based refinement of technologies.
Dr. Bhatta also advocated innovative initiatives such as open days, short video content, and institutional outreach to schools and colleges to enhance visibility and engagement. He stressed the need for developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for impact assessment.
Dr. R.R. Barman, Assistant Director General (Agricultural Extension), ICAR, highlighted the importance of balanced fertiliser use, promoting soil health through judicious application of nutrients, soil testing, and the use of biofertilisers and organic inputs. He also underlined the role of livestock in sustainable agricultural ecosystems and called for demonstrations on green manuring, azolla, and vermicomposting, while referencing the national target of reducing fertiliser use by 25 percent by 2030.
Dr. Raghavendra Singh, Director of ATARI, Kanpur, stressed the need to disseminate IVRI’s animal science “package of practices” through extension networks to benefit farmers. He also emphasized improving soil carbon and adopting organic inputs.
Providing an overview of extension achievements, Dr. H.R. Meena, Head of the Extension Education Division, reported that all 18 recommendations from the previous council meeting had been fully implemented. Dr. Rupasi Tiwari, Joint Director (Extension Education), informed that the institute conducted over 15,500 extension activities, reaching approximately 1.45 lakh beneficiaries, including a significant number of women.
She highlighted initiatives such as farm schools, training programmes, advisory services, and development of technical literature, along with efforts to create need-based “package of practices” in collaboration with ATARI and state departments. Coordination meetings with states including Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka were also held to identify region-specific challenges.
The institute has also been proposed as a “knowledge partner” by the Odisha government, reflecting its growing credibility. Plans are underway to organise awareness programmes for farmers, students, and youth on career and startup opportunities in animal husbandry and veterinary sciences.
The session was conducted by Dr. H.R. Meena, with the vote of thanks delivered by Dr. R.S. Suman. Senior officials, including Dr. S.K. Singh, Dr. S.K. Mendiratta, Dr. Sohini De, Registrar Rajeev Lal, along with departmental heads, veterinary अधिकारियों, and farmers, were present.
Report by Akhilesh Chandra Saxena from Bareilly
