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Documentary on organic farming screened

Express news service

Posted online: Friday, November 02, 2007 at 0000 hrs IST

Ludhiana, November 1
On the second day of Documentary Film Festival organized by Punjab Agricultural University, a film on ‘Organic Farming’ produced by Nitin Bhonsle of Agri-India, Pune, was screened in the Wheat Auditorium of the University.

Farmers from various parts of the state saw the documentary, which highlighted that agriculture needs to be made eco-friendly through development of organic farming techniques. The focus was on horticultural crops and the indigenous methods of vermiculture.

The film had commentary on structures and materials to be used for organic farming, by technical experts from various research institutes. The farmers who came for Punjab Kisan Club’s monthly meeting showed keen interest in the film. They wished that more films for the education and upgradation of technical know-how of the farmers are shown.

The formal inaugural screening of a film entitled, ‘Black Stage Boys: Punjab’s Labour Goes Global’ directed by Meera Diwan was held on the opening day of the film festival at PAU on October 30. The programme also had a screening of a film on weed management in rabi crops that supplemented the lecture delivered by Dr US Walia, a weed management scientist of PAU.

Pavittar Pal Singh Pangli, president and Rajwinder Singh, finance secretary of the club, spoke to the farmers. Watandeep Singh Grewal and Jatinder Pal Singh also attended the show.

Speaking on the occasion, the coordinator of the meeting Dr TS Riar thanked the Centre for Communication, Languages and Culture for screening educational films for farmers. He asked the participating farmers to show their interest for the subjects for which the films can be arranged in due course. One of the farmers, Gurpartap Singh from Machhiwara, lauded the film but desired that more films in Punjabi should be screened.

For the benefit of 70 farmers hailing from Rajasthan, the Hindi version of the film was screened. In all, 213 farmer members registered themselves for this event. A message from the PAU Director of Extension Education, Dr NS Malhi, on observing safe Diwali by not burning the paddy straw to avoid pollution was read, according to Dr Riar.