Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 16 December 2025
The ICAR–Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (CIARI), Sri Vijaya Puram, organised a State-Level Workshop on the preparation of actionable points as a follow-up to the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA)-2025 today.
Inaugurating the programme, Dr. A.K. Nayak, Deputy Director General (Natural Resource Management), ICAR, New Delhi, underlined the significance of the workshop in formulating a comprehensive roadmap for agricultural development in the ecologically vulnerable island ecosystem. He stressed the need to give due consideration to water and soil resources, as well as biodiversity, while planning agricultural interventions to ensure sustainability without compromising farmers’ profitability. Dr. Nayak also emphasised the assessment of farmers’ requirements for farm inputs, quality seed and planting material, and propagules of native fish and animal breeds, in coordination with State functionaries, to enable realistic target setting.
Dr. A. Velmurugan, Assistant Director General (Soil and Water Management), ICAR, New Delhi, provided insights into the preparation of action plans in alignment with the vision of Viksit Bharat-2047. He highlighted the importance of a farmer-centric approach to research and developmental activities to achieve sustainable solutions to existing challenges.
Earlier, Dr. Jai Sunder, Director (Agriculture), ICAR-CIARI, presented an overview of the status of island agriculture, the issues faced by farming communities, and the initiatives being undertaken by the Institute. He also outlined the key researchable issues identified for the Union Territory during the Kharif campaign under VKSA-2025. Ms. Sreedevi, Joint Director, UT Department of Agriculture, briefed participants on the area and production of major agri-horticultural crops and the initiatives of the UT Administration to promote agricultural development.
During the technical sessions, detailed deliberations were held on nine identified researchable issues, led by scientists including Dr. P.K. Singh, Dr. T. Sujatha, Dr. I. Jaisankar, Dr. Ajit Arun Waman, Dr. Pooja Bohra, Dr. E.K. Saneera and Dr. Y. Ramakrishna. Officials from the Departments of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, along with representatives of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), provided valuable inputs. Dr. Ajit Arun Waman, Senior Scientist, served as the Organising Secretary of the workshop. Officials from line departments and KVKs in remote islands participated virtually. The workshop was coordinated by Ms. Sushma, while the vote of thanks was proposed by Dr. Pooja Kapoor.
