KANUBARI, Jun 21: Agriculture Minister Gabriel D Wangsu reiterated the state government’s commitment to promoting natural farming, organic cultivation, farmer capacity building and agricultural entrepreneurship to ensure sustainable agricultural growth in Arunachal Pradesh.
The minister made the remarks while addressing a workshop on Natural Farming organized by ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Longding, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture at the ADC Office Conference Hall in Kanubari on Sunday.
The workshop was attended by BJP State vice president and Chairman of State Food Commission, Tarh Tarak, BJP Kisan Morcha president Gumsen Lollen, and Senior Scientist-cum-Head of ICAR-KVK Longding Dr Utpal Kumar Bhattacharyya, among other dignitaries.
Addressing farmers, public representatives and stakeholders, Wangsu emphasized the importance of adopting eco-friendly cultivation practices that improve soil health, conserve natural resources, reduce production costs and enhance resilience to climate change.
He lauded the efforts of ICAR-KVK Longding and the Department of Agriculture in creating awareness about sustainable farming methods and encouraging farmers to adopt natural farming practices.
Earlier, delivering the keynote technical session, Dr Bhattacharyya explained the scientific principles of natural farming, highlighting soil health management, biodiversity conservation, ecological pest management and the sustainable use of local resources. He said natural farming can help address challenges such as soil degradation, declining productivity, climate variability and rising input costs while ensuring food and nutritional security.
Speaking on the occasion, Gumsen Lollen encouraged farmers to embrace natural farming methods and make use of Govt schemes aimed at agricultural development, while Tarh Tarak stressed the need to preserve indigenous agricultural knowledge and integrate it with modern scientific interventions.
A major highlight of the programme was the distribution of farm machinery and vegetable seeds to beneficiary farmers. Certificates of appreciation were also presented to progressive farmers and stakeholders in recognition of their contributions to agricultural development and the promotion of natural farming in the district.
The workshop served as a platform for knowledge sharing, farmer-scientist interaction and the dissemination of sustainable agricultural technologies, reinforcing the collective commitment towards a self-reliant and environmentally sustainable agricultural future for Longding district and the state.