PASIGHAT, 5 Jan: Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that numerous flagship programmes aimed at benefitting the agriculture and horticulture sectors have had an impact on the status of the farmers and are luring young entrepreneurs to take up farming as startups.
The CM credited the central government “for uplifting the image of farmers from ‘poor’ to ‘proud entrepreneurs’ in a span of eight years with its farmer-centric flagship programmes.”
Speaking at a function at the College of Agriculture here in East Siang district on Thursday, Khandu said that “many young entrepreneurs coming up to avail benefits of both central and state flagship programmes are keen to invest in agriculture and allied sectors.”
“This trend,” he said, “is in defiance against the ‘poor farmer’ tag prevailing in the mindset of the common man since ages.”
Khandu informed union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who also attended the programme, about the hugely successful Seva Aapke Dwar programme of the state government, “through which the state government is taking all flagship programmes of the Centre and the state to the doorsteps of the farmers.”
“So far, more than six lakh people have befitted from these camps across the state,” the CM said.
He thanked the central government for focusing on agriculture and allied sectors while drastically improving the connectivity scenario in the state.
He said that farming and connectivity go hand in hand, as far as marketing of farm produces is concerned.
“By default, we are an organic state, and that adds value to our produces. We need to facilitate market linkages to our farmers and this should be the focus area of the experts,” he said.
Khandu informed that “the state government has already tapped a huge market in the form of Indian Army contingents posted across the state.”
“The state agriculture department has made a pact with the army for supply of fresh agriculture produces procured from local farmers at a rate beneficial to both parties. We flagged off the first consignment of vegetables to the army on Independence Day last year,” he informed the union minister.
Tomar earlier inaugurated the administrative and academic buildings and hostels of the college in the presence of the CM, Agriculture Minister Tage Taki, MP Tapir Gao, local MLAs Kaling Moyong and Ninong Ering, CAU Vice Chancellor Prof Anupam Mishra, Dean Dr AK Tripathi, and district officials.
He expressed hope that the new facilities would encourage and motivate the students to work harder.
“Agriculture is the fastest growing sector in the country, and the Centre is making continuous efforts to make farming much profitable. There will be no constraint of central funding for development of the agriculture sector,” he said, adding that “the setting up of this institute will give an impetus to the development of agricultural education and research in Arunachal Pradesh, along with other Northeastern states.”
“There was unlimited potential for organic farming in the Northeastern states, for which the central government and the state government are working together. Giving importance to agriculture in bringing about development and security of livelihood in the Northeast, farming activities are being strengthened by agricultural education and research,” he said.
Taki in his address emphasised on “the importance of locally grown crops for enhancing farmers’ income and export opportunities,” and encouraged natural and organic farming “for sustainable increase in production.”
Gao said that modern farming techniques and marketing would promote agro-entrepreneurship in the country, adding that “agriculture has a major role to contribute in the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.”
“Just like other industries, now farmers can also sell their produces anywhere in the country, wherever they fetch better prices,” he added.
The function also marked the conclusion of a two-day kisan mela organised in the college premises with the theme ‘Innovations in potato farming to empower tribal farmers in the Northeastern region of India’. The mela was organised by the College of Agriculture, in collaboration with the College of Horticulture & Forestry and the East Siang Krishi Vigyan Kendra here. (CM’s PR Cell & DIPRO)
