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Meeting No: 2519 357 8091
Password: punjab

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Abstract

Punjab's agriculture has experienced a dynamic journey, marked by the Green Revolution's initial success in boosting wheat and rice production. However, this has led to significant challenges such as groundwater depletion, soil degradation, and a lack of crop diversity. These issues have resulted in stagnating productivity and economic stress for farmers. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach, including promoting crop diversification, sustainable farming practices, and advanced water management techniques. The panelists of the webinar shall delve into the historical trajectory of Punjab's agriculture, tracing its rise during the Green Revolution to its recent struggles. They shall also suggest policies that in future can ensure sustainable growth and improve livelihoods.

About the speakers

Ramesh Chand

Prof. Ramesh Chand is Member of National Institution for Transforming India, NITI Aayog, Government of India, and Chairman of the Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi. He is also member of the Policy Advisory Council (PAC) of the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). In the past, he was Member of the Fifteenth Finance Commission, member of Board of Trustees of International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Mexico and member of Food Security Council of World Economic Forum.

He has a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. Prof. Ramesh Chand has worked in senior academic positions at National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research, New Delhi, Institute of Economic Growth and Punjab Agricultural University. He was Visiting Professor at University of Wollongong, NSW Australia and at Institute of Developing Economies, Chiba Shi, Japan. He has also been Consultant with international organizations such as FAO, UNDP, ESCAP, UNCTAD, Commonwealth and World Bank.

Prof. Chand has authored seven books and published more than 150 research papers in reputed national and international journals in the areas of agriculture growth and development, demand and supply, food policy, farmers’ issues, agricultural markets and trade. In recognition of his contributions, Prof. Ramesh Chand has received several national and international awards.

L.S. Gill

L. S. Gill is Former Professor and Head, Department of Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala where he has founded Centre for Development Economics and Innovation Studies (CDEIS). He is the founding Editor, Millennial Asia-An International Journal of Asian Studies published by SAGE that is indexed in SCOPUS and Clarivate Analytics (ESCI). He has contributed nine books and more than hundred articles in various reputed journals and leading national dailies. He has authored Agrarian Distress and Farmer Suicides in North India published by Routledge 2020. Professor Singh is Coordinator of Indialics-a Chapter of Globelics in India. He has held several visiting positions including Yale University, USA and Seoul National University, South Korea. His specialization is Development Economics, Innovation Systems, Regional Economics, Area Studies and Punjab Economy. He has a teaching experience of more than 32 years and successfully supervised 20 Ph.D Students.

Kamal Vatta

Dr Kamal Vatta is Professor of Economics, Punjab Agricultural University. Dr. Kamal Vatta is an agricultural economist specialising at the interface of economics with the natural resource degradation (specifically water), agriculture and rural development processes like labour markets. Currently, Dr. Vatta is heading Centers for International Projects Trust (CIPT) which is a non-profit affiliated with Columbia Water Center (New York) and work primarily in the areas of water, agriculture, energy and socio-economic issues. CIPT’s work is majorly based on applied research and technology development for field based interventions. Earlier to this he was positioned as Associate Professor of Economics at Department of Economics and Sociology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India for six years from 2008 to 2013.

Dr. Vatta is recognised for his contributions in the fields of research on sustainable agriculture, development economics and resource sustainability, and has been endowed with several awards and distinctions throughout his career. He was also the leading member of the International Multi-disciplinary team to South Africa which conducted a study entitled “Towards sustainable management of land and water resources: Constraints and opportunities for research and development in the farming systems of Mankwe and Madikwe districts of North West Province of South Africa” on behalf of ICRA, The Netherlands in 2002.

He has over 70 peer reviewed publications in the area of agriculture, economics and development, and has led more than 20 projects in various capacities in these fields both nationally and internationally.

Sukhpal Singh

Sukhpal Singh is Professor and Former Chairperson, Centre for Management in Agriculture (CMA), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Formerly, he was Director General, Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Chandigarh, and Former Professor and Head, Agricultural Economic Research Unit (AERU), Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), New Delhi. He has been conferred the title of the Fellow of the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics for his contributions to the discipline and the Society in 2018. He is Founding Co-Editor, Millennial Asia – an international journal of Asian studies. He has authored 12 books and over 140 research papers in international and national journals/edited books. He is on the board of several non-profit organisations working in the agriculture and rural space. Previously, he was a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, University of Manchester; and Copenhagen Business School. He has also served as member of various committees/working groups of the Planning Commission of India/NITI Aayog, the National Development Council, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India.

M.S. Bhullar

Dr. Bhullar is serving as Director of Extension Education at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) since December 2023. Earlier, he had been Head, Deptt of Agronomy at PAU from August 2020 to Dec 2023 and In-Charge of Weed Science Section and Principal Investigator (PI) of AICRP-Weed Management at PAU from 2012-2024. He has worked on the development of integrated weed management approaches for field and horticultural crops, and cropping systems in conventional and conservation agriculture. His major contributions include introduction of direct seeded rice and tropicalised sugarbeet and, management of herbicide resistance in Phalaris minor in wheat. Based on his work in applied science, 55 recommendations on development of production technologies and integrated weed management in major field and horticultural crops, organic agriculture, agro-forestry and improved spray technologies have been passed on to the state package of practices which has been widely adopted by stake holders..Besides, he has one patent (filed), 116 research publications, 8 review papers, 5 book chapters, 4 research bulletins and 91 extension articles to his credit. He has handled 30 national/international research/extension projects as PI/Co-PI. He has also received training in weed science from the University of California, Davis (USA) and Jealott’s Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell (UK). He has taught UG and PG courses in Agronomy and Weed Science, and has been Class In-charge of B.Sc Agriculture-4 year programme, at PAU. He has guided 20 PG students as Major Advisor. Under his guidance as PI, PAU Ludhiana Centre was awarded “AICRP-Weed Management- Best Centre Award 2015-16.” He is also a recipient of “Appreciation Certificate” (by PAU) for outstanding research work on the development of weed management technologies for field and horticultural crops. The Indian Society of Weed Science also awarded him “Fellow” for year 2018 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to weed science.