Ludhiana, March 22 -- Advocating economic stimulus and future security while combating agrarian challenges, a two-day Kisan Mela kicked off at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Friday.

World Food Prize Laureate Gurdev Singh Khush, known as the 'paddy daddy' for his work in rice improvement, inaugurated the mela. Lauding PAU's varietal and machinery development efforts, he emphasised the urgent need to adopt PAU-recommended short-duration paddy varieties and avoid early sowing to preserve Punjab's dwindling water table. "We must keep groundwater sustainability at the forefront," Khush cautioned, "if we want a long and prosperous agricultural future for Punjab."

Presiding over the mela, Satbir Singh Gosal, vice-chancellor, PAU, desc...