ITANAGAR, Dec 9: Governor BD Mishra advocated promoting innovative methods in agriculture to encourage farmers to give up shifting cultivation and engage in scientific agricultural practices in order to enhance crop productivity.
The governor said this during a meeting with Agriculture Minister Tage Taki at the Raj Bhavan here on Monday. The two discussed improving agriculture practices and exploring new avenues for entrepreneurship and employment in the agriculture and allied sectors.
Mishra also stressed on “experimenting with new crops and techniques to have round-the-year farming.”
Expressing concern over the use of pesticides, he suggested developing bio-pesticides.
“Overuse of pesticides not only damages the environment but makes the soil unsuitable for natural growth of plants,” he said.
He suggested that a team of the state’s agriculturists and horticulturists visit the Gurukal farm, started by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, “to study and adopt the non-chemical farming ways for introduction in the state.”
Mishra advised the minister to enable such tours and visits for the agriculturists, horticulturists and progressive farmers of the state, and said “the knowledge they gain should be transferred to the ground.” (Raj Bhavan)
