Shillong, Apr 26: Bhagirath Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, visited the ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam today as well as the Central Agricultural University (Imphal) campus, also at Umiam.
In his welcome address, Sandeep Ghatak, Director of the ICAR centre, highlighted the institution’s 50 years journey and its contributions across the North Eastern states.
He noted that despite early challenges such as shifting cultivation, land degradation, acidic soils, and post-harvest losses, the institute has made significant strides, including a 75 percent reduction in jhum cultivation, development of over 50 Integrated Farming System models, promotion of natural resource management techniques, and creation of farmer-friendly tools, digital applications etc.
Ghatak reiterated the institute’s continued commitment to advancing sustainable agriculture and supporting the livelihoods of farmers in the North East through science-driven innovations and collaborative efforts.
Addressing the gathering, Choudhary appreciated the commendable efforts of the institute in advancing agricultural research and development. He highlighted the importance of promoting natural farming and urged farmers to reduce dependency on chemical fertilisers, noting that significant economic burden is posed by fertilizer imports.
Stressing on the need to address emerging challenges posed by climate change, he called for stronger collaboration between scientists and farmers for the development and adoption of climate-resilient crops and innovative technologies.
The Union MoS also distributed various agricultural inputs to the farmers like cono-weeder, sprayers, water pumps etc.
At the CAU campus, Choudhary emphasised the importance of effective marketing of agricultural products, strengthening Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), ensuring food safety and promoting protected cultivation practices such as polyhouses.
