Itanagar, Jan. 10 (PTI): Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has invited suggestions from state government officials to achieve the target of doubling farmer’s income by 2022.
Chairing a pre-budget meeting with the secretaries and directors of agriculture and allied departments yesterday, Mein said the Centre’s objective of doubling farmers’ income can only be achieved through farming-related activities.
He asked the officials to submit the proposals with five years perspective planning so that the objective can be achieved by 2022, an official release said here today.
Mein said that in addition to supply of quality planting materials to farmers, the feasibility of drip and sprinkler irrigation to cash and plantation crops should be looked into.
He asked the officials to make optimum use of farmers’ e-marketing portals for marketing local produce outside the state, which would help fetch better prices.
The deputy chief minister also called on veterinary and fishery departments to increase their activities, and propose schemes that can supplement the agriculture and horticulture income of the farmers.
“Dairy and poultry farming will give double benefit to the farmer in terms of milk production, as well as in achieving the objective of organic farming,” Mein said.
He asked the departments to go for large scale fish cultivation and make all defunct fish farms of the state government functional.
The minister added that fishery tourism is another potential of the state, where educated youths and established fishermen can be engaged.
