'AAU can bring change in agriculture, start green revolution in NE'

Jorhat, Nov 6: “As Northeast India missed the green revolution bus so we need another green revolution in Northeast India and AAU should dream to bring a change in agriculture and start green revolution in the region,” said Ram Muivah, the secretary of North Eastern Council, Shillong, during his chief guest address at the 49th annual tiol conference of Nutrition Society of India that was held at the Dr MC Das memorial auditorium at Jorhat campus AAU here recently.

Ram Muivah said the region had trends of ethnic food which was rich in nutrition, compatible to culture and ethnicity of the Northeast and turally organic. “You will be surprised to know that in many parts of galand, Manipur, Mizoram and Aruchal, organic food can be found where chemicals and fertilizers are not at all used,” he said.

Dr. Kamal Malla Buzarbaruah, the Vice-Chancellor Assam Agricultural University (AAU) said that quality of food people consume was important in order to address lifestyle issues. “By 2030 we should address issues like hunger, malnutrition and obesity. Indian Green Pool Centre has been recognized as the 12th mega biodiversity area of the world. Across the globe there are 2.60 lakh flowering and non-flowering species, of which India has 18.8 per cent. Globally there are 17,000 fish species out of which 2,700 are in India alone. So we are rich in fish biodiversity too,” he said.  

Dr. V Prakash, the vice-president of Intertiol Nutrition Society said, agriculture technology had advanced tremendously and could provide whatever was needed for food crops with particular composition.  “We hope in future agriculture will be able to answer the nutrition problem of the country,” he said. He added, “We are on the threshold of facing a calamity called climate change. The climatic change will affect food production.”