ITANAGAR, 7 Sep: Chief Minister Pema Khandu urged farmers to make full use of the state's favourable agro-climatic conditions, saying that its diverse agro-climatic conditions, ranging from tropical and subtropical regions in the foothills to temperate and alpine zones, offer immense potential for agriculture and horticulture.

Inaugurating the State Agriculture Information Hub-cum-Farmers' Hostel - the first of its kind in the state to be dedicated exclusively to farmers - the chief minister called it an important addition to the state's efforts to transform agriculture and allied sectors into sustainable and profitable avenues of livelihood and entrepreneurship.

He said the establishment should serve as a meaningful centre for capacity building, knowledge-sharing, technical training and professional exposure for farmers from across the state.

He urged the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry to identify the best experts from across the country and expose farmers to modern technologies, technical know-how, value addition and market-oriented farming practices.

"Arunachal's farmers are hard-working. What they need is greater technical knowledge, better market linkages and professional guidance on value addition," the chief minister said.

Khandu also emphasised the need for regular upskilling of departmental officers, so that they could effectively guide farmers on modern technologies, government schemes and emerging opportunities.

He said nearly 1.50 lakh women in Arunachal have been associated with the SHG movement over the past decade, with women in even remote villages receiving training and successfully taking up various livelihood and business activities.

Khandu said the state government would soon launch a major cooperative movement by bringing together the Cooperative Department, Rural Development Department and panchayati raj institutions.

He said access to finance is crucial for the success of farming and entrepreneurship.

"Farmers work hard, but unless they receive adequate returns, they will eventually lose motivation. Organisations such as FPOs, producer companies, SHGs and cooperatives must help them access finance, markets and professional support," Khandu said.

The chief minister urged entrepreneurs and farmers to connect with the formal banking sector and make effective use of government subsidies and institutional financing to expand their businesses.

Stating that value addition is among the biggest priorities for the agriculture and horticulture sectors, Khandu called for effective utilisation of the upcoming Mega Food Park in Banderdewa, where FPOs and producer companies could be provided with space and facilities to undertake food processing and value addition.

The departments should work in close coordination to identify appropriate machinery and infrastructure for processing locally produced agricultural and horticultural commodities, he said.

"Our products must move beyond farms. We need a clear, product-wise roadmap to take them through value addition and into the market," Khandu said.

He said the state government has been working to promote supply of locally produced commodities to the armed forces through cooperatives, with the initiative already being successfully implemented in several districts.

The departments, he said, should assess the requirements of the armed forces and accordingly train farmers, provide seeds, and support the production of commodities required by them.

The chief minister also highlighted the enormous market potential in fisheries, poultry, dairy, pork and other livestock products.

"Despite being a predominantly meat-consuming society, we continue to depend heavily on products brought from outside the state. This is a market opportunity that our farmers and entrepreneurs must seize," he said.

Khandu said the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region had assigned specific responsibilities to the chief ministers of the eight Northeastern states for developing a roadmap to transform key sectors by 2047.

As part of this exercise, Arunachal has been entrusted with responsibilities relating particularly to poultry, dairy, meat and fisheries sectors.

He said extensive consultations and meetings hadbeen held over the past year and a final report was submitted during the North Eastern Council meeting held in Shillong.

The roadmap, he said, would include short-term, medium-term and long-term strategies for transforming these sectors, and the state government would provide support and funds for priority initiatives.

Referring to oil palm cultivation, Khandu said the Northeast, particularly the foothill regions of Arunachal, offer favourable climatic conditions for oil palm cultivation because of adequate rainfall.

The state government has already initiated oil palm cultivation in recent years and has set a target of bringing 36,000 hectares under oil palm cultivation over the next five years, he said.

The chief minister also congratulated coffee growers on the launch of the organic coffee initiative under the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCD-NER) programme.

He said coffee cultivation offers a promising opportunity for farmers, and appreciated the efforts being made to promote the crop in the state.

Khandu also highlighted the policies approved by the state Cabinet for strengthening the agriculture and allied sectors, including the agriculture policy, apiculture policy and horticulture policy, and expressed confidence that the policies would create new opportunities and provide substantial benefits to farmers and young entrepreneurs in the coming years.

Later, Khandu flagged off the Matsya e-Vaahini and e-Rickshaw, aimed at strengthening transportation and market support for fish farmers.

The initiative is expected to reduce transportation time and improve access to markets while also addressing the challenge of middlemen taking away a major share of the profits.

The e-Rickshaw, being an environment-friendly mode of transport, would provide an additional sustainable solution for the fisheries sector, he said.

Khandu said the Matsya e-Vaahini initiative would provide important logistical support to fish farmers and help them connect their produce more efficiently with consumers. (CM's PR Cell)