CM Pema Khandu assures support for farmers to boost production

ITANAGAR, Oct 6: Terming agriculture as the backbone of the society, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday assured proactive role and support to farmers in successful implementation of all the Centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) in the State.

Taking stock of all the Central schemes under implementation across the State with the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary and Fisheries here, Khandu assured financial support to the schemes that require the State share.

He further said that as implementation of the schemes especially in the Agriculture and allied sector are time bound and seasonal, any delay in the release of the State's share of funds should be avoided, an official communiqué informed here.

When informed by the Departmental officials on the State's share still to be released for utilization of the Central shares, Khandu asked Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to convene a meeting of the departments concerned with the Finance and Planning Department officials so that all pending cases of 'State share' can be resolved at one go.

"We cannot wait for lengthy procedures to release the State's shares for the Centrally sponsored schemes in the Agri-Horti and allied sectors. It should not happen that by the time the State's shares are released and schemes are ready to be implemented, the season for the same is over," he remarked.

The newly passed farm Bills — Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill – and its impact on Arunachal Pradesh were also discussed at length.

Khandu asserted that the new Bills, which have now become Acts, will help farmers augment their income. According to the Agriculture and Horticulture secretary, Arunachal Pradesh will have zero impact as one of the Acts does away with mandis, wherein farmers sell their produces through middlemen, as the mandi system is non-existent in the State.

Stating that earlier the 'Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee' (APMC) used to collect 2 per cent cess from the farmers transporting their produces, the Secretary informed that this system has been done away with now. As per the new Acts, farmers will have the freedom to sell their produces without having to go through any middlemen or pay cess to the government.

With regard to the infestation of paddy fields especially in the districts of East Siang, Siang, Upper Siang and Lower Dibang Valley that caused huge loss to rice farmers, Khandu urged the departments concerned to extend help in all possible manner to the affected farmers.

He further informed that the government would do all it can to mitigate the loses while suggesting provision of funds from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF), which in fact has already allocated Rs 20 lakhs to each of the affected districts. A detailed discussion was also held on oil palm cultivation, which is a Central scheme under the 'National Food Security Mission'.

Khandu was informed that the State government had signed MoUs (Memorandums of Understanding) with three companies – Siva Sai, 3F and Ruchi Soya — for setting up oil-extraction factories and to also buy back oil palm fruits from farmers under the scheme.