Assam Agriculture minister Atul Bora meets progressive woman farmer Nabanita Das

JORHAT: Assam Agriculture minister Atul Bora along with Dergaon MLA Bhaben Bharali and district agricultural officials visited the farm of progressive women farmer Nabanita Das at Charigaon Chapori under Jorhat district here on Friday.

The minister congratulated Nabanita for her achievements and bringing laurels to the State. It may be recalled that on Women Farmers’ Day she was awarded at a function at Pusa, New Delhi where Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh lauded her role for taking up farming as a profession. Interacting with this correspondent, Atul Bora said that she is an appropriate example for others to follow suit.

It may be mentioned that Nabanita Das, who is a nurse by profession, left her job to take up farming as she was inspired by the growing of fruits and vegetables at Elengmora, where one of her sisters is married to. Taking her sister as a role model, she started farming at No 2 Charigaon Chapori, a sand bank of the river Brahmaputra near Borsolla Beel over six bighas of lane. Nabanita’s produce is totally organic. She fends off pests with mixtures of neem and other shrubs as well as variations of Trichoderma.

In 2016, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) presented her the Best Farmer Award at the Assam Agricultural University and this year on February 22, ICAR, Patna awarded her again after she was selected by the University along with 10 other progressive farmers of the region.