HAU, Netherlands to jointly work on crop residue management

Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar, and the Netherlands government have decided to jointly work on a project to tackle issues like crop residue management and work on bio-defence strategy, protected cultivation, peri-urban and urban horticulture, floriculture and hydroponic vegetables.
Besides, the project will go into setting up of an Indo-Dutch Horticulture Centre at Jhajhar, an agri-business incubation centre and explore the scope for teacher-student training, exchange programme, special short-term training programme and knowledge gap analysis.
This was decided at a meeting of the Joint Working Group of the Indo-Dutch Collaboration presided over by HAU Vice-Chancellor, K P Singh, on the university campus, yesterday, an official release said here today.

Addressing the meeting, Singh sought collaboration of Netherlands in tackling the problem of brackish water in Haryana so that the water could be used for irrigation purposes.
It would help overcome the water crisis faced by farmers in growing crops, he said.
Asking the Dutch delegation to provide expertise in setting up flower auction centre in Gurugram, he highlighted the problem of paddy straw burning and its side effects on environment, public health and safety.
HAU has submitted a project on Horticulture Centre of Excellence for protected cultivation under the National Agriculture Higher Education Project in collaboration with Wageningen University, Netherlands.

The Joint Working Group felt that there is need to minimize post-harvest losses, integrated pest management and provide logistic support.