DIBU, 3 Jul: “In order to streamline the growth, progress and benefits due to farmers, a chain of ecosystem within their fraternity is the need of the hour, which would channelize their hard work commensurate with the incentives provided by the government,” said Agriculture Minister Tage Taki on Monday.
After inaugurating a packhouse at the kiwi orchard of renowned kiwi grower of Ziro valley, Hage Tara, here in Lower Subansiri district, the minister urged the farmers to “combine the wisdom of both the old and young generation farmers to find better and practical solutions in the field of horticulture to maximise efforts and returns.”
Commending Tara’s “pioneering efforts in the field of horticulture,” Taki said: “I have known Hage Tara for the past 15 to 20 years. He has been putting in lots of pioneering efforts in the field of horticulture, particularly in kiwi plantation, which has made Ziro valley the largest producer of kiwi in India and famous globally.”
Taki further informed that Tara has planted 20 exotic, imported varieties of fruits on an experimental basis in his orchard, “which is exemplary and encouraging for the upcoming young farmers of the district and the state.”
Acknowledging the need for a cold storage facility in district headquarters Ziro, the minister said that “a farm-end solar-based cold storage would be more ideal for a place like Ziro, rather than the power-driven conventional cold storage.”
Lower Subansiri DC Bamin Nime emphasised on the ‘vocal for local’ initiative and urged the local unemployed youths to “take up farming seriously to earn livelihood.”
“Some of our unemployed youths can take up horticulture farming and set up MSME units to produce kiwi wine, juice and dried fruits, which are in high demand within and outside the state,” he said, and pledged to provide Rs 1 lakh from his untied fund for maintenance of Tara’s farm.
The packhouse, costing Rs 5 lakhs, was constructed under the Rastriya Krishi Vikash Yojana – Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR)-CSS, sanctioned for the 2023-’24 period.
Tara on his part said that “Ziro valley, with an ideal geographical elevation, is best suited for cultivation of kiwi and eastern fruits.
“My orchard is located 2,000 metres above sea level, while the average elevation height of the Ziro plateau is 3,000 metres above sea level, and is best suited for kiwi and eastern fruits cultivation,” he explained, and expressed gratitude to the state government for encouraging farmers like him through incentives.
The inauguration programme was organised by the agriculture department, led by District Agriculture Officer Tasso Butung, and attended by other departmental heads, besides ZPMs and progressive farmers. (DIPRO)
