Lucknow, Jan. 31 -- When Ram Singh, a farmer from Ghursara village, Mohanlalganj, narrated how he found ways to increase his income with the help of scientists at the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) during the Kisan Mela, he was grinning like a child. The two-day farmers' fest began at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-CIMAP on Thursday.

"After completing my graduation from Lucknow University, I began helping my father with conventional farming on our 1-hectare farm. We used to grow opium, wheat, mustard, paddy, and lentils. In 1992, when I began looking for alternatives to opium, I heard about the institute from one of my neighbors, and visiting it turned out to be a life-changer. I bega...