‘Emerging Challenges and Prospective Strategies for Hill Agriculture in 2050’
Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, JANUARY 23
THE vision strategy specific for the hill farmers should focus on preservation of the land and its resources from inhabitations and exploitations by external influx, said Governor Dr Ashwani Kumar.
The Governor was speaking at the inaugural function of the three-day seminar on ‘Emerging Challenges and Prospective Strategies for Hill Agriculture in 2050’ at ICAR, Jharnapani, Dimapur as the chief guest today.
Advocating that the continuance of organic farming strategies should be by choice and not default or neglect, Dr Ashwani hoped that the Vision 2050 would address technical and modern facilities of connectivity, electricity, laboratory and industry.“There are several ways of formulating prospective strategies through identifying the emerging challenges and formulating the prospective strategy to overcome the challenges and also by conceptualizing a futuristic and inspirational vision,” he maintained.
Dr Ashwani highlighted that India is now producing more than 250 million tonnes of food grains, 35 million bales of cotton and nearly 18 MT of pulses despite the economic slowdown and added that the Nagaland along with other north eastern states also has seen an upward growth in agriculture production.
He further made mention that ICAR institutes, research centres, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, agriculture departments and the farmers deserve credit for such achievements for which the State government and people of Nagaland and the entire country are grateful. He also urged them for better quality location specific seeds, processing, packaging and marketing facilities.
He expressed hope that issues of quality seeds, procession, packaging, marketing, labour, water, irrigations, etc. will be encompassed in the Vision 2050.
“We need to develop an all-encompassing vision for that time period with a vision from the point of an agriculture expert and ordinary farmer,” the Governor stressed.
Stating that by 2050, the world population will grow to around 9.5 billion, he said, therefore, the need to meet the demand for food that will go up by 60% will be tremendous.
The Governor explained that the pressure on land and its resources is expected to become severe with climate changes, ecological imbalances and shortages of water. He, therefore, urged for achievable and realistic strategies while formulating futuristic goals and visions.
The Governor also inaugurated the ‘Citrus Procession Facility’ at ICAR Complex and visited the various establishments of the ICAR Jharnapani Institute besides releasing the ‘Compendium’ during the function.
The three-day seminar is being organized by the Indian Association of Hill Farmers (IAHF) and the ICAR Research Complex Nagaland wherein scientists, researchers, students, agriculture experts, policy makers, entrepreneurs, biotech companies and stakeholders are in attendance.
Guest of honour of the inaugural programme, Dr SP Ghosh, ex-DDG, Horticulture, ICAR, New Delhi, in his speech, stated that the future development of the nation should be knowledge based. He stressed that the rich soils of North East should be used for high value agriculture produce.
Dr KR Dhiman, Ex-VC, YSPUH & F, Solan, in his address as special guest, stated that hills agro-economic system is mostly system oriented and not commodity oriented. Therefore, he said a single component cannot be responsible and added that the management of natural resources like rainfall should be utilized resourcefully in every possible way. Describing North East as a ‘paradise region’, Dr Dhiman said with the growth in seed and planting material production, the region indeed provides a beautiful opportunity for the NE people in agricultural sector.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr KM Bujarbaruah, VC, AAU, Jorhat, Assam while the programme was chaired by Dr SV Ngachan, Director, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya. The welcome address was delivered by Dr Bidyut C Deka, Joint Director, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Nagaland and vote of thanks by Dr RK Singh, Secretary, IAHF, Umiam, Meghalaya.
