PASIGHAT, 26 Apr: Assam’s Guwahati-based Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI) Director Dr Kadirval Govindasamy advised self-help groups (SHG) to start farmer-producer companies (FPC) in the villages to maximise benefits and bypass middlemen in agricultural sales.
Addressing farmers and members of SHGs during a farmer-scientist interaction programme at Motum village in East Siang district on Friday, Dr Govindasamy advised them to “maintain nutrition gardens to meet nutritional needs of your families,” and encouraged them to adopt sustainable food choices.
Pasighat-based College of Horticulture & Forestry (CHF) Dean Dr BN Hazarika advised the farmers to adopt integrated farming system, while Guwahati-based ATARI principal scientist Dr Rajesh Kumar spoke on double cropping, specifically cultivation of toria after rice cultivation.
Dr RC Shakywar from the CHF spoke on scientific cultivation of oyster mushrooms, while Dr P Debnath from the same institute spoke about utilising kitchen waste for home composting for maintaining soil health.
Principal scientist Dr SM Hussain and East Siang KVK scientists Drs Toge Riba, Th E Vida and Neeta Longjam spoke on pest and diseases management in horticultural crops, secondary agriculture, and poultry management.
Later, summer vegetable seeds were distributed among the participating farmers, numbering 72.
