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Dimapur, Oct. 12 (EMN): In the aftermath of huge economic loss due to change in weather pattern and pest infestation, Nagaland Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC), Y Kikheto Sema has sought assistance from the central government to revive the state’s economy.
A DIPR report stated that Kikheto met several senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and discussed various issues pertaining to the development of agriculture sector in the state on October 12.
During his meeting with the additional secretary, Vivek Aggarwal, Kikheto apprised huge requirement of post-harvest management infrastructure in the state such as cold storages, pack houses, marketing facilities in the district headquarters and towns; transportation of agricultural produce etc., which could also extend services to farmers, FPOs, entrepreneurs, self-help groups (SHGs) and the community under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF).
While highlighting that GoI has allocated the funds under AIF, whereby credit guarantee coverage would be available for eligible borrowers upto INR 2 crore with interest subvention of 3% per annum upto a limit of INR 2 crores, he stated stated banks were shying away to come forward to give loan primarily due to issues of mortgage of landed properties. Kikheto, therefore, requested the government of India to simplify the procedure under AIF and to direct the banks to come forward to help the farmers and entrepreneurs for which Aggarwal assured that he would personally look into it and advised him to identify genuine potential entrepreneurs, farmers, FPOs for viable projects and who would be willing to repay the loan to the banks.
APC also requested Aggarwal for early sanction of “Digital Agriculture Mission” which was assured to be considered within this month.
The APC also met additional secretary (PMKSY), Prasanta Swain and apprised on the need to ensure food security through water security by creation of water bodies, ponds and channels. He also requested to consider enhanced allocation of action plan both under “Other Interventions and Micro Irrigation.”
Kikheto also met the joint secretary of RKVY, Chhavi Jha, and apprised her that RKVY is being implemented by eight departments and four missions and to kindly consider enhancing allocation of action plan in the current year. He further appealed to her to consider supporting the new and innovative programme on “Naga model of integrated settled farming” (N-IsF), as a major component under RKVY for sustainability and ecological services, where all the Agri. and Allied departments could participate in a single cluster like that of business enterprise.
It may be mentioned here that a model has already is being implemented at Boke-Botsa in Kohima district. Kikheto stated that this model could be replicated not only in Northeast region but in all the hilly states of the country.
The APC also met Rajbir Singh, joint secretary of MIDH and requested him to increase the cost norms under MIDH especially for Nagaland and hilly regions of the North-East from the rest of India.
He also met the joint secretary of Crops and Oil Seeds, Subba Thakur, and the joint secretary of INM, Priya Ranjan, wherein he thanked the union government for providing a well-equipped soil testing laboratory (STL) in all the 12 districts and also mini laboratories in all the 74 blocks in the state.
While reminding that MOVCD cannot provide organic certification to all the block levels, Kikheto has sought creation of an organic certificating agency in the state.