ITANAGAR, Sep 7: Chief Minister Pema Khandu today inaugurated the State Agriculture Information Hub-cum-Farmers’ Hostel at Naharlagun and flagged off the Matsya e-Vaahini and e-Rickshaw, describing the initiatives as important additions to the State’s efforts to transform agriculture and allied sectors into sustainable and profitable avenues of livelihood and entrepreneurship.
Congratulating the Department of Agriculture for creating the new infrastructure, Khandu said the facility was the first-of-its-kind in Arunachal Pradesh to be dedicated exclusively to farmers.
The Information Hub-cum-Farmers’ Hostel, he said, should serve as a meaningful centre for capacity building, knowledge-sharing, technical training and professional exposure for farmers from across the State.
He urged the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry to utilise the facility to its fullest potential and organise training programmes suited to the specific challenges and opportunities of Arunachal Pradesh, according a communiqué from the CMO.
The departments, he said, should identify the best experts from across the country and expose farmers to modern technologies, technical know-how, value addition and market-oriented farming practices.
He said Arunachal Pradesh was uniquely blessed with diverse agro-climatic conditions ranging from tropical and subtropical regions in the foothills to temperate and alpine zones, providing immense potential for agriculture and horticulture.
“With such diverse climatic conditions, Arunachal Pradesh is one of the best States in the country for farming. We must make full use of this natural advantage,” he said.
The CM also emphasised the need for continuous training of departmental officers so that they could effectively guide farmers on modern technologies, government schemes and emerging opportunities.
Khandu announced that the State Government would soon launch a major cooperative movement by bringing together the Cooperative Dept, RD Dept and PRIs.
He said access to finance was crucial for the success of farming and entrepreneurship.
Khandu urged entrepreneurs and farmers to connect with the formal banking sector and make effective use of government subsidies and institutional financing to expand their businesses.
Khandu said the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region had assigned specific responsibilities to the Chief Ministers of the eight Northeastern States for developing a roadmap to transform key sectors by 2047.
As part of this exercise, Arunachal Pradesh has been entrusted with responsibilities relating particularly to poultry, dairy, meat and fisheries sectors.
Agriculture Minister Gabriel D Wangsu also attended the programme, along with officials of concerned departments.