BARD launches farmers' clubs in Karigaon

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, March 4: The iuguration of nine farmers' clubs at Karigaon area in Kokrajhar was organized by BARD, Kokrajhar in association with partner agency ORAI SWMKHWR, a Kokrajhar based NGO.

The programme was graced by the Deputy Commissioner of Kokrajhar, Bibekanda Choudhury, general mager, DICC Pankaj Hazarika and his team, KVK, Kokrajhar SMS, Gautam Bhagawati and the Lead Bank Mager of UCO Bank, Kokrajhar, Gopith Basumatary.

The farmers' clubs belong to nine villages in Karigaon area comprising Sopur, Dharampur, Thaijwouguri, No. 9 Lonkapara, New Balajan, Kopur and West Dharampur, Maldangpara, Adalguri, No 2 Gorsingpara. BARD promotes formation of farmers' clubs and nurtures these clubs through partner agencies for a period of three years. The farmers' club programme is one of the important initiatives of BARD which aims to organize farmers to facilitate access to technology, extension services, credit and markets. A farmers' club is an informal group formed out of identified progressive farmers in a particular village. Bhima Deori, DDM of BARD, Kokrajhar said that the BARD, Kokrajhar had successfully implemented a demonstration project for market-led traditiol and scented varieties of rice in Karigaon area during 2016. In this project, 10 different traditiol and scented varieties of rice were covered and products were also demonstrated in the 4th Intertiol Agri Horti show in Guwahati in January, 2017 where it got a huge response. At present , a similar project on pulses is underway. She also said that the Farmers' Clubs formed in this region were envisaged to be specially groomed for commercial production of traditiol varieties of rice and pulses which command premium price in the market.