AALO, Jul 3: West Siang DC Moki Loyi inaugurated the office of the Aalo West Sipu Farmers-Producers Organization (AWSFPO) in Sipu Colony here on Friday.
Stating that the district is bestowed with fertile soil for various types of large-scale farming, the DC said, “We have been depending on wet cultivation to store foodgrains for yearly requirement, but our approach towards income generating avenues like agriculture, horticulture, fishery and dairy farming has not taken place in a big way.”
He urged the farmers to approach the line departments and seek their advice and assistance.
“Farmers should avail all facilities provided by the government to do away with the dependence on neighbouring states,” Loyi said, and encouraged the farmers to practice double-cropping “to generate double income.”
Siang Farmers’ Federation chairman Doi Ado, who was also present, said that the “break and start attitude in taking up farming has been a big hurdle in achieving the goal of self-reliance among the farmers.”
He said the shortages caused by the lockdowns due to Covid-19 “should teach us a good lesson to work hard to meet our own requirements and enhance our earnings.”
AWSFPO chairman Topak Ori, along with Kirdo Ete, Deba Loya and Gejum Ete spoke on cluster farming.
The government’s cluster farming scheme envisages starting 2000 kitchen gardens in five hectares of land in each constituency. The farmers of Aalo East and West have already registered and opened FPO offices in their respective constituencies, while those in Liromoba constituency are preparing for registration.
PRA held in E/Kameng
In East Kameng district, a participatory rural appraisal (PRA), involving farmers, to draw a roadmap for cluster farming in convergence with the MGNREGA was organized in Bana on Friday.
During the programme, organized by the district administration in collaboration with the rural development, agriculture and horticulture departments and the ArSRLM, DC Pravimal Abhishek Polumatla briefed the participants on ways and means to draw a plan to ensure successful implementation of the initiative.
He asked the DRDA to gather input from the locals and carry out social and resource mapping of the area, besides preparing “the seasonality calendar and charter of roles and responsibilities.”
The DC suggested constructing a water storage tank and channels, and directed the department concerned to immediately start work for the proposed borewells.
Regarding farm mechanization, Polumatla called for identifying a suitable place “for setting up a custom hiring centre,” and directed the ArSRLM to identify and train local youths to man the centre.
He asked the agriculture department to conduct soil testing in the area, and advocated immediate formation of an FPO in the area.
Commending the people and the departments concerned for successfully implementing ‘Hamare khet hamare bachche’ – an initiative of the DC himself – Polumatla urged everyone to work with the same zeal “to realize the true benefits of the proposed cluster farming initiative.”
The DC inspected several farms, and directed the agriculture department to assist the farmers in getting organic certification.
Polumatla was accompanied by ADC (HQ) Dahey Sangno, DRDA PD Ashok Tajo, and other officials. (DIPROs)
