Shillong, May 18: On his visit to the ICAR-Research Complex for North Eastern Region, Umiam, Meghalaya on Wednesday, Giriraj Singh, Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, visited the piggery, poultry and dairy farms of the Institute to witness the pig breed Lumsniang developed by the Institute.
Singh, the Chief Guest, during his address, highlighted the inevitable challenge of food security in the coming years because of the exhaustive population pressure of the country.
He reminded the gathering about the contribution of the Green Revolution in the country but still today we are in dire need of producing more food grains with better yield.
“A holistic integrated approach is the need of the hour for bringing about any development in an aspirational district like Ri Bhoi,†said.
He called upon the ICAR and CAU-College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences to work in collaboration keeping in mind the farmers’ needs first. Focus should be on taking the research outputs from lab to field.
The Union Minister for Rural Development also stressed upon the need to popularize Moringa (Drum stick) plantation as it has carbon absorption potential if we are to develop carbon neutral villages in the country.
He concluded his address by saying that the country and its villages will be prosperous only when the farmers will prosper and that is if they fetch more economic returns from their harvest and again use their income for more agricultural activities.
The scientist of the institute also had an exhaustive interaction with the Union Minister on May 17 evening at CAU- CPGS AS along with the staff of the concerned Institute regarding various issues pertaining to agriculture and allied sectors particularly livestock and fishery.
