Shillong, Aug 30: Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Parshottam Rupala said that efforts have been made to encourage farmers in the North Eastern region to engage in organic farming.
“This will help in increasing the income of farmers, and to make agriculture more innovative and also increasing the overall production of the country,” he said, while addressing a Sankalp Se Siddhi programme, organised by ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region at Umiam, on Wednesday.
The minister also emphasised the need to equip farmers with improved farming technologies, high yielding scientifically produced variety of seeds, organic fertilizers and irrigation facilities to increase their income.
Referring to Sikkim where farmers have been able to increase their income after adopting organic farming, he also lauded the efforts of the state as it has declared itself as an organic state.
“The North Eastern region including Meghalaya has tremendous scope in organic farming. I assure that all possible support will be provided in this regard,” he said.
He also said that good quality of horticulture crops such as orange, pineapple, flowers etc can be produced in the region and surpluses can be marketed with effective supply chain management.
The minister also elaborated the Sankalp Se Siddhi programme which sought to double the farmers’ income by 2022.
He also expressed his satisfaction over the efforts, initiated by the ICAR for NEH Region, Umiam for doubling farmers’ income within the next five years in their adopted villages.
Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain, who also attended the programme, said that it was the dream of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to bring a second green revolution in the North East through organic farming.
The minister, however, admitted that poor transportation and communication facilities in the region have been hampering the growth of the region in general and agriculture in particular.
He said that the Central government has always been working to address this issue and the Railways ministry has already fixed the target to connect all state capitals to Delhi through rail. “It will not only help in the inter-communication but also help the farming community to export their commodity to different parts of the country and increase their income,” he added.
Later Rupala handed over a power tiller to farmers of a SHG. The ministers and the people present in the programme also took the New India Pledge to work cohesively for strengthening the region in general and the farming community in particular.
Both the ministers concluded with a wish that people will take Sankalp Se Siddhi approach towards achieving the goal of doubling the farmers’ income by 2022.