Palampur Agriversity Hosts 5th Business Meet of NABARD Officers & DDMs of Himachal
09 February 2026, Palampur: Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya Palampur hosted the 5th Business Meet of Officers and District Development Managers (DDMs) of NABARD, Himachal Pradesh Regional Office, Shimlatoday at its Campus. The meet was inaugurated by the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Dr. Ashok Kumar Panda. Dr. Vivek Pathania, Chief General Manager, NABARD Himachal Pradesh, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Mr. Sandeep, General Manager, and Mr. Kushal Deep, Deputy General Manager, NABARD, HP were present as Special Guests. The meet witnessed the participation of NABARD officers and District Development Managers from different districts of Himachal Pradesh.
Dr. Vinod Sharma, Director of Extension Education, of the university, welcomed the Chief Guest, Special Guests, NABARD officers, and DDMs, highlighting the long-standing collaboration between NABARD and the University in promoting sustainable agriculture and rural livelihoods.
In his inaugural address, Dr. Ashok Kumar Panda, Vice-Chancellor, expressed concern over the changing agricultural scenario of Himachal Pradesh and emphasized that the state is increasingly focusing on off-season vegetables, horticulture, animal husbandry, and fisheries instead of large-scale farming. He highlighted the utilization of artificial reservoirs for fisheries development and income generation and stressed the promotion of biofloc technology as a low-water, low-cost fisheries model.
The Vice-Chancellor further underlined the importance of training programmes for retiring army personnel in agri-allied sectors and informed that efforts are underway to facilitate marketing of farmers’ produce in army cantonments. He also pointed out that although indigenous cattle produce milk of superior quality, low productivity remains a challenge, making integrated and scientific farming essential for economic viability.
Raising concerns over food safety, Dr. Panda cautioned that pesticide residues in animal feed could adversely affect both animal and human health. He emphasized that declaring Himachal Pradesh as an organic state must be backed by effective action on the ground. Protected cultivation and hydroponics were identified as priority areas for future agricultural development. He also stressed that close collaboration between NABARD and agricultural universities is vital for enhancing farmers’ income.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Vivek Pathania, Chief General Manager, NABARD, informed the house that such Business Meets are regularly organized at reputed academic and research institutions to strengthen coordination between NABARD and its knowledge partners. He stated that these meetings provide a common platform for officers and DDMs to deliberate on policy initiatives, field-level challenges, and innovative financing models for effective implementation of development programmes.
As part of the programme, a field visit of the delegates was also organized to the University’s research farms, including the hydroponics unit, model dairy farm, and natural farming unit, where participants interacted with scientists and observed innovative technologies and best practices adopted by the University.
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