Arunachal to achieve atmanirbharta in agriculture sector: Chief Minister Pema Khandu

Our Correspondent

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday assured the Centre that with improved connectivity in the State, the government would leave no stone unturned to achieve atmanirbharta in the agriculture sector.

Attending a virtual conference of the Union Agriculture ministry chaired by Narendra Singh Tomar, Khandu said that the Centre's Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) would be a game changer for the agriculture sector in the country and the State Government would immensely benefit from the flagship programme, an official communiqué informed.

"Agriculture as a viable sector in the State is still in a nascent stage mostly due to the State's geographical factors. However, in recent years connectivity has opened up scope for farmers and is turning agriculture into a viable economic activity," the Chief Minister said.

Khandu requested the ministry to handhold the State in establishing cold-chain facility across the State under the AIF. He reasoned that due to the State's vast geographical area, cultivable pockets are far and wide that calls for a robust cold-chain network to transport and preserve agriculture as well as horticulture produces.

Welcoming the Centre's push for oil palm cultivation in a mission mode, the Chief Minister informed that as per a survey conducted by a central team in 2019, Arunachal Pradesh possess at least 1.33 lakh hectares of land feasible for oil palm cultivation in a commercial way. "We assure everybody that this surveyed land does not fall under forest land category but are basically unused wasteland," he disclosed.

Khandu further said that as per records only about 5,000 hectares have been used for oil palm cultivation, most of which at the moment are abandoned. He said that with renewed intention and planning of the Central Government, this could be revived for doubling the income of farmers by ensuring an assured market.

"We are in touch with few of the erstwhile investors to establish their oil palm factories. We are hopeful that with the incentives being provided now by the government, they will agree to do so," the Chief Minister observed. He informed that directives had been issued to the department to work in this regard.

Chairing the conference, Tomar informed that under the AIF, the government focuses on five key areas to bring transformative change in the agriculture sector that would be commercially profiting for farmers.

The key areas are – infrastructure and logistics that has facility of Rs 1 lakh crore setup to support farmers, FPOs, start-ups, state agencies, APMCs, Agriculture Produce Export which includes identification of export clusters, certification and primary processing for export quality produce and cooperation between central and state agencies; self-sufficiency pulses and edible oil that include mission mode approach for increasing production and productivity of pulses and oil seeds and oil palm mission.

The other areas include digital access that targets linking of farmers database to state land record system, accurate and digital recording of crops and agristack for smart and precision agriculture; and direct income support and credit availability for direct cash benefit under PM-KISAN and saturation drive for Kisan Credit Cards.

State Agriculture Minister Tage Taki and his advisor Gabriel D Wangsu were also present during the conference.

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