Union Minister of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the new hostel building of the National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM) in its campus at Rajendranagar, here yesterday.
The union minister lauded NIPHM’s role in taking up the programme of creating a pool of Master Trainers to popularize simple and low cost mass rearing technique of Bio Control Agents.
After inaugurating the new hostel building, Naidu was shown Bio intensive strategies for Plant Health Management such as Agro Ecosystem Analysis (AESA) in conjunction with Ecological Engineering for Pest Management. Low cost techniques for production of Bio-control agents and Microbial Bio Pesticides at farm level were displayed.
It was brought to the notice of M Venkaiah Naidu that tremendous potential exist for export of seeds from Telangana, the Capital of seed production in India, leveraging the International Airport at Hyderabad, and export of ornamental plants from Kadiyam Andhra Pradesh, the capital for ornamental plants in India, and leveraging the International Airport at Visakhapatnam.
Naidu assured that he will take up the issues with the state governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to provide a major thrust in this regard to develop Export Hubs of seeds in Telangana and Export Hub of Ornamental Plants in Kadiyam Andhra Pradesh, utilizing the services of NIPHM.
The Minister has also assured to extend necessary support from Government of India (GoI).
The Minister has observed that India needs to play a major role by extending necessary support to the neighbouring countries so that the Agricultural Biosecurity of the region is protected, sustained and South Asia can enhance Market access opportunities by being SPS compliant.
The minister was happy to note that the NIPHM has taken up the programme of creating a pool of Master Trainers to popularize simple and low cost mass rearing technique of Bio Control Agents.
Konda Vishweshawar Reddy, .MP., Chevella, Rangareddy District, T.Prakash Goud M.L.A., Rajendranagar, were all present in the inaugural function as Guests of Honour.
National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM) is a premier national level institute established in the year 1966 at Hyderabad.
The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Government of India sanctioned an amount of Rs 593 lakhs towards construction of a new hostel building for strengthening the infrastructural facilities at the Institute. (ANI)