Veteran Actor Padma Shri Manoj Joshi Visits ICAR-CCARI, Goa

    Padma Shri awardee and veteran actor Mr. Manoj Joshi visited the ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI), Goa on 12-09-2024, where he spent half day interacting with staff and exploring various aspects of coastal agriculture. During his visit, Mr. Joshi toured several key areas, including the integrated farming system, natural farming practices, germplasm block, animal science units, livestock waste valorization system (LWVS), Jalopchar Unit, Agroecotourism (AET) Hut and Nakshatra Vatika.

    Particularly intrigued by natural farming, Mr. Joshi engaged in detailed discussions about its principles and practices. He expressed keen interest in applying natural farming techniques to coconut cultivation, with black pepper as an intercrop. He also appreciated the rich biodiversity within the campus, emphasizing that conserving biodiversity is vital for ecosystem sustainability.

    Mr. Joshi paid special attention to the institute's indigenous cattle germplasm and the innovative livestock waste processing units. The conversion of cattle dung into biogas, value-added biofertilizers, and Jeevamrut (a bio-fertilizer used in natural farming) fascinated him. He suggested exploring value-added products from indigenous cattle dung that could be developed through women’s self-help groups, providing potential livelihood opportunities.

    Overall, the visit was mutually enriching. Discussions took place about continuing collaboration between Mr. Joshi and the institute, with a shared goal of promoting natural farming-based agriculture. The visit was coordinated by Dr. R. Solomon Rajkumar, Dr. Gopal Ramdas Mahajan, Dr. Shirish Narnaware, Mr. Vinod Ananda Ubarhande, Mr. Rahul Mukund Kulkarni under the guidance of Dr. Parveen Kumar, Director, ICAR-CCARI, Goa.