Dimapur, May 17 (MExN): The Department of Agriculture Nagaland distributed farm machinery power tillers to 38 progressive farmers of the State for free on Tuesday at a power tiller distribution programme under Sub Mission on Agriculture Mechanisation 2016-17 at Central store Dimapur with Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Y.M. Yollow Konyak as the chief guest.
Agriculture is the most important economic activity for a State like Nagaland which has been practising farming for time immemorial; however each time there is economic blockade in Assam, Nagas start to panic because we are mostly dependent on their resource which establishes the lackadaisical attitude of Naga people, Yollow opined while addressing the farmers and Agriculture department officials present.
Government of India can bring in various schemes and initiative for farmers but if they are not availed, than we should change according to the convenience of local farmers and study on the convenience and technical problems faced by the farming community, the Parliamentary Secretary stated and added that with the advancement in technology, the practice of farming has changed and local farmers too have to advance accordingly.
Yollow further persuaded the farmers and the department to work together and uphold the age-old practise of agriculture which is the main source of income for the State. He also suggested the department that in case of natural calamities the department should take responsibility in providing relief to the farmers. Also observing the scenario of agriculture in the State, Yollow stated that he would assign respective District Agriculture Officers’ (DAO) to monitor diligent farmers and award them. In this regard, the Parliamentary Secretary asked DAO’s to map out necessary agri link road without practising bias for the progress of productive farming in the State.
Agriculture Department Joint Director Helie Rupreo remarked that State falls short of agriculture produce despite the reported 70% of Nagas being farmers. Nagas are into farming for self requirement and therefore we need to contemplate on venturing into marketing, viewed Rupreo. “The State’s agriculture system cannot be compared to other States and we should focus on marketing not only locally but globally,” he added.
Farming has its convenient time and for that reason we need machineries, the Joint Director stated and added that it was for this reason the department under the Sub Mission on Agriculture Mechanisation 2016-17 is providing free power tillers to farmers.
Maintaining that the machines provided are expensive, he persuaded the farmers to make use of it productively and be self employed by imparting education to their community as well.
Speaking on behalf of beneficiaries, a 66-year old beneficiary who has been into farming for about 50 years accounted that farmers do not have ways to market their products and requested the department to initiate agri link roads for better feasibility of the farmers.
Deputy Director Central Store Olem Jamir in his vote of thanks remarked that farmers are the responsibility of the agriculture department and informed that the maintenance cost of the power tillers provided will be borne by the department.
