YACHULI, Jun 24: Agriculture Minister Tage Taki said interlinking the agriculture and its allied departments and building a cohesive unit could “create a sustainable chain of economic activities for the farmers.”
The minister said this while addressing officials of the veterinary and the fisheries departments, members of the Lower Subansiri KVK, and progressive farmers during a flag-off ceremony of a mini-truck and a ‘fish sale van’ here.
The mini-truck and the fish sale van have been funded by the National Fishery Development Board, in collaboration with the Lower Subansiri district fishery development office.
“Avenues for multiple-cropping and mixed farming should be explored. We have to start getting out of the stereotypical farming mindset and bring innovation and profit-oriented methods to our cultivation,” Taki said, and assured of all support from the government.
“The KVK, as a storehouse of knowledge pertaining to agriculture and horticulture, shall have to brainstorm and identify crops and vegetables suitable for different areas of Lower Subansiri,” he said.
Informing that off-season vegetable gardening would be taken up on a large scale Ziro from October, he said the KVK would have to submit a feasibility report in this regard within 15 days.
Taki advised the farming community of the district to explore the potential of maize, soya beans, millets, and other commercial crops. He also assured to install two oil extracting units to facilitate the farmers.
Responding to a memorandum submitted by Fish Farmers’ Society Lower Subansiri chairman Likha Kamin, seeking cold storage facilities, Taki said he would look into the matter “after the budget sittings and allocations are completed.”
Earlier, he visited the government dairy farm in Yachuli, as well as the KVK campus. He interacted with officials of both the departments, and assured to look into their grievances.
Taki also inaugurated the angling and the boating facility at the fish farm of progressive farmer Likha Kamin.
ADC Charu Nilli, DFDO Nabum James, DVO Hano Tama and HoDs accompanied the minister. (DIPRO)
