Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visits organic farm Pabhoi Greens

A CORRESPONDENT

BISWANATH CHARIALI: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited Pabhoi Greens, an organic farm situated at Pabhoi, around 20 km from the heart of the town of Biswanath Chariali, on Monday evening during his one-night halt here. Pabhoi Greens was set up by Neelam Dutta with a view to creating integrated value chains in agriculture for sustainable employment and their vision is to safeguard indigenous seeds. To achieve this, they have started the first organic seed production and seed bank in Northeast (NE) India. Its primary goal is to replicate the best adaptable varieties in the region and also to provide all farmers with locally adapted seeds and to train communities in organic and integrated farming and seed breeding.

Chief Minister Sonowal inspected the farm and held discussions with the entrepreneurs covering various issues related to agriculture in the State. The entrepreneurs urged the government for value addition and processing of agro-produce of Assam, setting up of seed village for crops like rice, vegetables, maize, wheat, mustard, etc. for seed sovereignty and climate resilient cropping system and implementation of one village-one crop system, introduction of good agricultural practices and slowly leading to organic and sustainable farming system, development of Vietnamese-style raised bed system for year-round cultivation of crops and short-duration fish farming for better productivity, creation of farmers' database and issuance of farmers card along with soil health card, strengthening of co-operative structure, farm mechanization for seed planting, transplanting, harvesting, post-harvest operations, convergence of all departments related to agriculture- agriculture, horticulture, fishery, veterinary, animal husbandry, dairy, irrigation, food and civil supplies, food processing and cooperation.

Later talking to media persons, the Chief Minister said that the State had responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a self-reliant India and his government had taken various steps for self-reliant Assam. "We should focus on agriculture and allied sectors," he underlined.

Sonowal observed that the young generation of Assam was committed to building a self-reliant Assam through agriculture and as a progressive farmer, Neelam Dutta's Pabhoi Multipurpose Agriculture Farm, 'Pabhoi Greens' was an exemplary model in this regard.

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