ICAR–Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR), Bengaluru, actively participated in the one-day Mega Farmers’ Seminar on “Sustainable Tree-Based Agriculture”, jointly organized by the Isha Foundation, ICAR-IIHR, ICAR-IISR, Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST), and Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) on 27.12.2025 at Adhiyamaan College of Engineering, Hosur, Tamil Nadu.

Prof. T. K. Behera, Director, ICAR-IIHR, chaired the programme along with Sadhguru and Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Hon’ble Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare. Dr. M. Sankaran, Principal Scientist and Head, Division of Fruit Crops, and Dr. R. Senthil Kumar, Principal Scientist and Head, Division of Social Sciences and Training, ICAR-IIHR, were invited as lead speakers for the event.

A large number of farmers attended the seminar and actively interacted with the experts. ICAR-IIHR set up a stall to showcase the institute’s varieties and technologies, where seed kits were sold to the farmers. In addition, a separate area was allotted for the sale of planting material produced by ICAR-IIHR, which received good response from the farming community. More than 10,000 farmers participated physically in the seminar, and 1,310 participants viewed the event through YouTube live streaming.