Indigenous Wealth Conservation Committee of Dhakuakhoana organizes Aam Mela-2019

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: The Indigenous Wealth Conservation Committee of Dhakuakhoana organized the 'Aam Mela-2019', the Indigenous Mango Festival for the second year at the Dhakuakhana Normal School premises on Saturday with a day-long programme.

The programme was organized in association with the Wild Silk Society-North East, Dhakuakhana subdivisional administration, Lakhimpur Krishi Vigyan Kendra and National Rural Livelihood Mission under Dhakuakhana and Ghilamora Development Blocks. The event was formally inaugurated by Dhakuakhana BDO Gopal Sarmah while Madhupur Tea Estate manager Parag Baruah inaugurated the commercial stalls of the mangoes. A total of 56 indigenous species of mango were exhibited in the festival.

In connection with the event, a symposium was also organized on the topic 'Conservation and augmentation of indigenous species of mangoes and empowerment of economics by their commercialization'. Dhakuakhana SDO Arindam Baruah inaugurated the symposium while Director of Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Guwahati, Dr Narayan Chandra Talukdar took part in the programme as resource person.

"The north-eastern region is enriched with so many bio-resources that we can fill the markets of South-East Asia with them. If we can do this, our region will be the rich part of the country," he said in his lecture. "If more than 50 species of mangoes are found only in Dhakuakhana, surely more than 100 species of the fruit will be available across the State. Steps for commercialization of all these species should be initiated after discovering their values and qualities," he further suggested.

In addition to him, Dr Rajendra Prashad Das, senior professor of Assam Agricultural University, also took part as the resource person of the symposium, highlighting various aspects of mango plantation, harmful insect control and the possible diseases affecting the plant in his discussion. Retired Joint Director of the State Agriculture Department, Dr Hitendra Nath Dutta chaired the programme where eminent researcher Jitul Saikia presented the subject-matter of the topic of symposium.

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