Almora, Uttarakhand – The 16th Annual Workshop of the All India Network Research Project on Onion and Garlic (AINRPOG) was inaugurated at ICAR – Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS), Hawalbagh, Almora with the ceremonial lamp lighting followed by the council song.
Ajay Tamta, Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. He congratulated the Director Dr. Laxmikant and the entire scientific team for their contributions in the field of agriculture. He emphasized the profitability of onion and garlic cultivation and commended the farmer who produced 7 quintals of garlic from just 2 nali land. Tamta encouraged farmers to directly connect with consumers to enhance their incomes and highlighted the importance of clean environment initiatives like the upcoming plantation drive at Chaubattia Garden.
He also appealed for mass participation in the upcoming national program “Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan: Anusandhan Kisan Ke Dwar” to be held from May 29 to June 12, 2025.
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticultural Science), ICAR, New Delhi, chaired the workshop. In his address, he stressed the significance of the upcoming three-year roadmap for advancing onion and garlic research and highlighted the potential of the Himalayan region for off-season and rare vegetable cultivation. He noted that India ranks second in onion and garlic production, and the youth can benefit greatly by adopting improved seeds, technology, and mechanization.
Dr. Laxmikant, Director of VPKAS, paid tribute to the institute’s founders Padma Bhushan Prof. Boshi Sen and Gertrude Emerson Sen and presented the institute’s achievements. He noted that VPKAS developed India’s first hybrid onion variety ‘VL Onion 67’, and has released two varieties each of onion and garlic, with some already commercialized.
Dr. Vijay Mahajan, Director of the Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research (DOGR), Pune, presented the annual achievements of AINRPOG, highlighting progress in reporting and online monitoring.
Three publications were released during the workshop:
1. Bulbil as Planting Material: Novel Approach to Cultivate Long Day Garlic in Northwestern Himalayas
2. Onion Seed Production in Hill Regions
3. Garlic Seed Production in Hill Regions
Additionally, a booklet titled Guidelines for Identification of Onion and Garlic Variety/Hybrid Evaluated under AINRPOG for Release by DOGR was also released.
Progressive farmers Shri Hukum Singh and Shri Nain Singh were felicitated for their achievements. The event was attended by dignitaries including Almora Mayor Shri Ajay Verma, Dr. Sudhakar Pandey (ADG, Horticulture, ICAR), Dr. K.E. Lawande, Dr. Praveen Malik (CEO, Agrinnovate), and more than 70 participants from various institutions and agricultural universities across India.
The workshop is seen as a crucial step toward enhancing research collaboration and agrarian development in the Himalayan region.
