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Dimapur, Feb. 1 (EMN): Even as the agriculture sector in Nagaland is yet to recover from a drought-like situation for the past few years, Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC), Y Kikheto Sema on Tuesday wished prosperous years for the farming community and urged the agri and allied departments and ICAR to deliver innovative ideas as well as sought continued support towards the farmers.
Kikheto stated this during the inaugural session of stakeholders meeting organised by ICAR Research Complex for NEH region, Nagaland centre, as the guest of honour at ICAR in Jharnapani on Tuesday. He informed that livestock, farmers yielding and human lives were seriously affected due to drought-like situations faced by the state coupled with infestation of fall army worm (FAW), African swine flu and the Covid -19 pandemic in the previous years.
Talking about the unpredictable rainfall pattern in the state, where there was no rainfall from December 2020 to April 2021 and the onset of early monsoon this year, Kikheto felt the need for discussion among the stakeholders on those issues and be mentally prepared.
"Due to the changing climatic pattern, the farmers are also confused. So we should come together, discuss and bring out advisories for guiding the farming community," a DIPR report stated, quoting Kikheto.
The APC also stressed on the importance of multi-cropping along with paddy, stating even if one crop fails, one could earn from the yield of other crops. He also emphasised on the importance of water conservation and Naga model integrated farming system, where all agri and allied departments could come together in a cluster manner for sustainability.
Kikheto informed that high tech soil testing laboratories have been set up in all the 11 districts with the initiative of the state government and the union government, adding that the state government would be writing for the same with regard to the newly created districts.
Kikheto also informed that he had already written to the secretary and director general of ICAR in New Delhi for establishment of five Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) for the new districts of Nagaland. With the setting of two bio-fertilisers, Kikheto was optimistic for getting sanction within this financial year for the remaining districts. Stressing on the importance of weather stations for giving real time advance weather information, Kikheto informed that weather stations have been set up for all the districts in the KVK, some of which would be inaugurated next week.
Kikheto also mentioned about the state's initiative on the importance of digital agriculture, where it planned to take real time information by using a drone- to see and initiate action on the FAW attack and required bio- fertilisers to be dropped to respective locations for improved cultivation. Observing that things are moving in the right direction, he appealed to the ICAR and agri and allied departments to come out of the box with innovative ideas and to give back something to the people before their retirement/ transfer.
He further stated that the department was scrutinising the ineligible/ bogus beneficiaries under PM-Kissan, who were enjoying it in the name of the farmers.
The technical session was addressed by the directors of Agriculture, Horticulture, Veterinary, Soil, Fishery etc.
The meeting was also addressed by the dean of Veterinary College, director of Mithun project ICAR, Pro- vice chancellor of SASRD, and the joint director of ICAR.
In the afternoon, an interactive session of state and central officials and farmers representatives from all the districts was held.
The meeting was attended by heads of agri and allied departments, district officers, ICAR officials and farmers representatives from all the districts. Modern equipment was also distributed to the farmer representatives from the districts.