Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 19 Jul: The Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board (APAMB) on Tuesday launched ‘Mission Krishi Veer’, which is aimed at meeting the demand for fresh fruits and vegetables by the Indian Army posted in the Kameng sector (comprising Tawang, West Kameng, and some pockets of East Kameng district) at the civil secretariat here on Tuesday.
The APAMB signed a memorandum of understanding with the Tawang Large Area Multipurpose Society (LAMPS) and the Jang LAMPS, which were represented by Tawang LAMPS MD Nali Medo and Jang LAMPS MD Sangey.
The mission is also aimed at strengthening the bond between the indigenous tribal farmers and the soldiers in the border, thereby creating trust and harmony and reducing the post-production and logistic losses by increasing the farmers’ revenues.
With the objective of utilising local surplus production to meet the demand of the army, the board will act as a facilitator between the LAMPS’ and the SHGs under the ArSRLM in the implementation of the scheme.
Attending the launch programme, Panchayati Raj Minister Bamang Felix called upon the APAMB to stress on continuity of production, supply, marketing and monitoring.
“The continuity should be there, whether production, supply and marketing are continuing. This should be a model for others. If supply to army is successful, it will cover all over India,” Felix said, and urged the APAMB to do the monitoring.
Felix stated that “involving SHGs is a great initiative to make the mission successful.” He asked the rural development secretary to “give clear instruction to project director and DPDO to monitor the mission and support it.”
Agriculture and Horticulture Minister Tage Taki suggested “making the marketing circle bigger, so that supply and marketing grow exponentially.”
He informed that his departments will roll out detailed guidelines on fixation of the rates of vegetables and fruits before they are supplied to the LAMPS’.
Taki also urged the LAMPS’ to take note of the army’s special specifications vis-à-vis vegetables.
Planning Commissioner Prashant Lokhande informed that Rs 4 crore has been allotted as “revolving fund to mobilise the mission, so that farmers or suppliers get instant payment.”
Presenting an overview of ‘Mission Krishi Veer’, APAMB CEO Okit Palling said, “This initiative aims to convert the existing operational structures of various stakeholders, viz, ArSRLM, LAMPS’ and marketing board into a cohesive and collaborative endeavour.”
He informed that “the total demand of the army per day is 23 tonnes – 17 tonnes of fruits, and 23 tonnes of vegetables.”
“In Arunachal, total farmers are 1,17,000, cultivating in 5.4 lakh hectares of land, and Arunachal Pradesh is producing 330 tonnes of fruits and 390 tonnes of vegetables every day,” he said.
