PASIGHAT, Jan 5: Chief Minister Pema Khandu has credited the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for uplifting the image of farmers from ‘poor’ to ‘proud entrepreneurs’ in a span of eight years with its farmer-centric flagship programs.
Speaking at a function at the College of Agriculture, an extension centre of Central Agriculture University (Imphal) at Pasighat today, Khandu said that numerous flagship programs aimed at benefiting agriculture and horticulture sectors have had an impact on the status of farmers and luring young entrepreneurs to take up farming as start-ups.
Khandu said that official records showed that many young entrepreneurs coming up to avail benefits of both central and state flagship programs were keen to invest in agriculture and allied sectors. This trend, he claimed, was in defiance against the ‘poor farmer’ tag prevailing in the mindset of the common man since ages.
He informed Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar, chief guest of the function, about the hugely successful ‘Seva Aapke Dwaar’ programme of the state government through which the state government is taking all flagship programs of the centre and the state to the doorstep of the farmers. He informed that so far more than 6 lakh people have befitted from these camps across the state.
The CM thanked the central government for focusing on agriculture and allied sectors while drastically improving the connectivity scenario in the state. He viewed that farming and connectivity go hand in hand as far as marketing of farm produce is concerned.
“By default we are an organic state and that adds value to our produces. We need to facilitate market linkages to our farmers and this should be focus area of the experts,” he pointed.
Khandu informed that the state government has already tapped a huge market in the form of Indian Army contingents posted across the state.
“The state agriculture department has made a pact with the army for supply of fresh agriculture produces procured from local farmers at a rate beneficial to both parties. We flagged off the first consignment of vegetables to the army on Independence Day last year,” he revealed.
Earlier, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar formally inaugurated the administrative and academic buildings and hostels of the Agriculture College in presence of the Chief Minister, state Agriculture Minister Tage Taki, MP Tapir Gao, local MLAs Kaling Moyong and Ninong Ering, CAU Vice Chancellor Prof Anupam Mishra, Dean Dr. AK Tripathi and district officials.
....Farmer-centric programs uplifted image of farmers in last 8 years: Khandu
The function also marked the conclusion of the two-day Kisan Mela organized in the college premises with the theme ‘Innovations in Potato Farming to Empower Tribal Farmers in the North Eastern Region of India’, organized by the College of Agriculture in collaboration with the College of Horticulture and Forestry, Pasighat and Krishi Vigyan Kendra. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
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