Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia inaugurated the two-day 'Smart Urban Farming Expo' in Delhi's Thyagaraj Stadium in order to start a movement towards mass adoption of urban farming in the national capital.
It was organised by the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDC), in partnership with Urban Gro, Indian Society Of Agricultural Engineers (ISAE) and Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) on Saturday.
The minister said that "the Expo is being organised with the futuristic vision of bringing a new revolution of urban farming in Delhi so that it reaches every rooftop and balcony in Delhi."
"The adoption of urban farming is the need of the hour to ensure food quality and security and to ensure every person can experience the joy of farming from their homes.''
Sisodia said, ''around 400-500 orientation workshops will be organised in various areas of Delhi over the next few months in partnership with Delhi government.
"Those interested can be inducted for a week-long training where they will be further made aware about the outlook, technology and latest trends in urban farming," he said.
Vice Chairperson, Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi, Jasmine Shah welcomed all urban farming enthusiasts and experts to the first-of-its-kind expo.
He said that urban farming has emerged as a booming industry in cities like London, Singapore etc. and in some countries like Cuba, around 60 per cent of vegetables are produced by urban and peri-urban farms.
Dr Ashok Kumar Singh, Director, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa said, ''The expo is dedicated to discussing urban farming which has emerged as a great alternative in the context of population increase, urbanisation, reduction in agricultural land area and decline in quality of natural resources.''
( With inputs from ANI )
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