AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

If agriculture is to provide means of livelihood to the growing population renovation in its technique is essential. This can be achieved by adopting a scientific approach towards the agriculture and agricultural research assumes significance in this connection. In fact the gist of the present agricultural development programme revolves round the central idea that there should be a close liaison between the research centres and the actual field of operation. The problems faced by the cultivators in the field are to be carried to the research centres where experiments are carried out. The results and the remedies suggested by these centres are again to be brought to the cultivators and put in practice. It is with this intention that the staff of extension workers including official as well as non-official personnel is engaged at various levels in the administrative set up of the panchayat samitis. zilla parishads, etc. This process of two-way exchange between agricultural research centres and the cultivators, if properly worked out, will no doubt produce great achievements in the field.

It is with this view that some research activities in the agricultural sector are carried out in the district. At Sindewahi in Brahmapuri tahsil for instance pioneering work in this behalf is being done since 1957-58. This centre has an area of 85.923 hectares (212.32 acres). Its main research is on the paddy crop. A. seed and demonstration farm is also attached to it. At first this centre was started at Lamandi, a village in the Raipur district of the old Madhya Pradesh. This was then shifted to Sindewahi in 1957-58 as the improved strains of various crops produced at Lamandi were not found suitable for the Vidarbha tract. At Sindewahi the activities of the centre, in addition to those regarding the evolving of improved strains of seeds have been extend-ed so as to facilitate the training of the gramsevaks, gramsevikas and the extension officer for agriculture.

Besides this, nine Tahsil seed multiplication farms have been established in the district covering all the tahsils of the district. The object behind the establishment of these farms is mainly to multiply the foundation seed and their consequent distribution to the progressive cultivators or registered seed growers for doubling the supply of improved varieties of seeds.

Of the combined area of 244.572 hectares (604.35 acres) of all the seed farms an area of 76.890 hectares (190 acres) was brought under irrigation during 1966-67. Out of this 160 acres were under tanks, channels, and bodi irrigation and the remaining 12.140 hectares (30 acres), under well irrigation. The production of seeds in kharif and rabi seasons at these farms and their distribution in 1966-67 was as under: -

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