Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurates the New Hostel Building of the National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM)

Hyderabad, August 19, 2014 – Union Minister of Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the New Hostel Building of the National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM) in its campus at Rajendranagar, Hyderabad today.

After inaugurating the New Hostel Building Shri Naidu was shown Bio intensive strategies for Plant Health Management such as Agro Ecosystem Analysis (AESA) in conjunction with Ecological Engineering for Pest Management. Low cost techniques for production of Bio-control agents and Microbial Bio Pesticides at farm level were displayed.

It was brought to the notice of Shri M Venkaiah Naidu that tremendous potential exist for export of seeds from Telangana, the Capital of seed production in India, leveraging the International Airport at Hyderabad, and export of ornamental plants from Kadiyam Andhra Pradesh, the capital for ornamental plants in India, leveraging the International Airport at Visakhapatnam.

Shri Naidu assured that he will take up the issues with Government of Telangana and Government of Andhra Pradesh to provide a major thrust in this regard to develop Export Hubs of seeds in Telangana and Export Hub of Ornamental Plants in Kadiyam Andhra Pradesh, utilizing the services of NIPHM. The Minister has also assured to extend necessary support from Government of India.

The Director General has also brought to the notice of Shri Naidu about the need for strengthening the Biosecurity in the Country and South Asia & about the role NIPHM can play in strengthening the Biosecurity capacity and capabilities in South Asia.

The Minister has observed that India needs to play a major role by extending necessary support to the neighbouring countries so that the Agricultural Biosecurity of the region is protected, sustained & South Asia can enhance Market access opportunities by being SPS compliant.

The minister was happy to note that the NIPHM has taken up the programme of creating a pool of Master Trainers to popularize simple and low cost mass rearing technique of Bio Control Agents.

The minister further observed –

1. The Plant Health plays an important role in agricultural production, therefore. There is a need to popularize simple mass rearing technologies.

2. Farmers should be educated on conservation as well as production and application of bio control agent. It is cost effective and environmentally sound method, especially compared to the chemical fertilizers.

3. Farmers should also be trained so that the trained farmers in turn can be assigned responsibility of enabling the farmers of their area to produce bio control agents and microbial bio pesticides to meet their requirement at the required time and at an affordable price.

2. The Capacity Building programme can also be taken up to enable the farmers produce bio control agents and microbial bio pesticides.

3. Large scale migration from agriculture sector will endanger food security. We must make agriculture viable. Agriculture yields per acre to be increased by focusing on agricultural research and development of high yielding varieties.

4. We should undertake massive soil testing of fields on the lines of Gujarat and introduce soil health cards for the lands of farmers.

5. Application of fertilizer based on soil health report. Use of bio fertilizers be increased and chemical fertilizers be discouraged so that huge subsidy on chemical fertilizers can be reduced in a phased manner.

6. Integrated Pest Management is the need of the hour.

7. To take clue from the advise of Prime Minister on “Lab to Land”.

8. The curriculum in graduate and post graduate courses in Agriculture and Horticulture be modified so that students are trained in Plant Health Management (PHM) strategy, which they can easily impart to the farmers.

Shri Konda Vishweshawar Reddy, M.P., Chevella, Rangareddy District, Shri.T.Prakash Goud M.L.A., Rajendranagar, were present in the inaugural function as Guests of Honour.

National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM) is a premier national level institute established in the year 1966 at Hyderabad. The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Government of India sanctioned an amount of Rs. 593 lakhs towards construction of a New Hostel Building for strengthening the infrastructural facilities at the Institute. CCI Newswire