250 quintals of garlic seeds distributed to Siang farmers in Arunachal Pradesh

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The College of Horticulture and Forestry (CHF) at Pasighat in the East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, in association with Siang Organic Farming Society (SFS), distributed about 250 quintals of free garlic seeds to 200 farmers of the Siang belt to motivate and mobilize them to grow organic garlic.

The distribution programme was organized on Tuesday.

The initiative, aimed at facilitating more farmers in the North-East region to turn organic, found very encouraging results, CHF head of department (vegetable science) Prof Chandra Deo said on Wednesday.

He added that the farmers, who belong to Namsing, Kongkul, Seram, Borguli, Kiyit, Ngopok, Silluk, Mebo, Boleng, Runne, Balek, Napit villages and Pasighat, were also given training in organic garlic irrigation.

The garlic seed cloves, worth Rs 15 lakh, were procured from Rajasthan under NEH components of Pune-based ICAR, under the project 'popularization of onion and garlic cultivation among tribal farmers of Arunachal Pradesh', Dr Deo said.

While garlic is grown extensively across the State, but its marketing posed a challenge, for which all the beneficiary farmers resolved to put in their best to grow organic garlic.

"Though India is optimistic to turn into an organic country, but Arunachal Pradesh is organic by default as 90 to 95% farmers produce all agricultural products organically. Regrettably, the farmers are still looking for market to sell their produce as the State is yet to be declared organic officially," Dr Deo said.

He hoped that the hub would be connected with the mainland market and the export market soon, for the farmers to get remunerative prices.

CHF dean Dr BN Hazarika and Group Captain (Rtd) Mohonto Panging Pao, in their addresses during the distribution ceremony, motivated the farmers for scientific cultivation and urged them to transform the Siang belt into an organic garlic hub of the North-East region and even turn into exporters.

Also Read:   Arunachal: Special drive for precaution dose in East Siang

Also Watch: