NEW DELHI: As many as 15 spouses of G20 leaders, including Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s wife, Yoko Kishida, visited the 1,200-acre PUSA-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) campus here, the seat of India’s Green Revolution, on Saturday and saw the breakthroughs in Indian agriculture and enjoyed the farm-to-fork millet experience.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murty, and World Bank president Ajay Banga’s wife, Ritu Banga, were among the delegation of first ladies and spouses of G20 leaders who visited the IARI campus here in the city.
They were received by Kyoko Jaishankar, the wife of India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar.
“At the exhibition area, 15 #Agristartups showcased innovative tech solutions to address ground-level challenges. #FPOs from across the nation displayed edible products marketed nationwide, aligning with the theme ‘Empowering Rural Prosperity through Collective #Agriculture,” agriculture ministry posted on X.
The exhibition, which was organised by the ministry, showcased India’s agricultural excellence, featuring farmers, cutting-edge agri-technology, and celebrity chefs, it said. They also saw vertical farming, hydroponic farming, and other sustainable agriculture methods.
During the visit, the visitors enjoyed a live cooking session featuring millets and also relished on it. The enthralling ‘Live Cooking Session’ showcased a wide variety of millet-based culinary delights. This event was aligned with the celebrations of the International Year of Millets. It was helmed by three celebrity chefs – Kunal Kapur, Anahita Dhondy, and Ajay Chopra.
Another important attraction of the event was the captivating ‘Agriculture Street’. It was curated in a way to tell India’s agricultural legacy and offer insight into its vibrant past as well as the future. The exhibition highlighted India’s phenomenal agricultural and dairy labs, which changed India from a food-deficient nation to a food-surplus one. These labs made India one of the top producers of cereals like rice, wheat, and pulses.
ICAR demonstrated the latest innovations in precision agriculture, agricultural technology, and mechanization advancements driving sector growth, display of cutting-edge agricultural technology from prominent Indian startups, interaction with Indian women agri-champions.
Also on exhibit was India’s aromatic rice (Basmati) and how it played an important role in the prosperity of millions of Basmati farmers. Another major highlight was India’s status as “Land of Spices” emphasizing wide variety and global fame of Indian spices.
Additionally, the guests also viewed the sensor-based system that facilitated the real-time monitoring of environmental conditions during the transportation, storage, and ripening of bananas, among other interesting exhibits of ICAR.
‘LIVE COOKING SESSION’ A MAJOR HIT
The exhibition showcased India’s agricultural excellence, featuring farmers, cutting-edge agri-technology, and celebrity chefs, it said. The enthralling ‘Live Cooking Session’ showcased a wide variety of millet-based culinary delights. This event was aligned with the celebrations of the International Year of Millets. It was helmed by three celebrity chefs – Kunal Kapur, Anahita Dhondy, and Ajay Chopra
‘AGRICULTURE STREET’ AN IMPORTANT ATTRACTION
Another important attraction of the event was ‘Agriculture Street’. It was curated in a way to tell India’s agricultural legacy and offer insight into its vibrant past as well as the future. It highlighted India’s phenomenal agricultural and dairy labs, which made India a food-deficient nation to a food-surplus nation