Hisar, Dec 23 : The Kisan Diwas was celebrated at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University in the city on Tuesday, where dozens of farmers were honoured for leading the transition to natural farming and also encouraging others to adopt the â??organicâ?? path.

The event saw Prof. B.R. Kamboj, Vice-Chancellor of the university, gracing the ceremony as the chief guest.

Ashish Mehta, a farmer from Sukera Kheda village in Sirsa, was honoured with the Kisan Ratna Award and was given a memento, certificate, and cash prize of Rs. 31,000.

Being a progressive and tech-savvy farmer, he has successfully adopted organic farming along with the cultivation of diverse crops, including paddy, wheat, cotton, sugarcane, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, and fruits.

He has also presented an environmentally friendly solution to the problem of stubble burning, thereby improving soil health and the productivity of the fields.

He is also a trained drone pilot, enabling precise spraying, crop monitoring, and cost reduction. By adopting drip and micro-sprinkler irrigation, organic vegetable nurseries and dairy farming, he has developed agriculture as a holistic enterprise.

Besides him, one male and one female farmer from each district of the state were also feted for their remarkable achievements.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice-Chancellor Professor B.R. Kamboj said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream is for our country to enter the list of developed nations by 2047.

â??For this, we will have to conserve our natural resources. Under this initiative, natural farming and cultivation of coarse grains are being promoted,â?? he stated.

He added that Haryana Agricultural University is a leader in developing new crop varieties, and days ago, the university developed a new variety of mustard, which is proving very popular with farmers.

The Vice-Chancellor said that to ensure that the innovative business ideas of our youth are transformed into successful ventures, the university has established an Agri-Business Incubation Centre.

Ashish Mehta, a farmer who received the Kisan Ratna Award, said that he has endeavoured to produce the maximum yield with the minimum use of pesticides.

He said that he has also been working on crop residue management for the past 10 years.

/IANS