New Delhi, July 8: (IPR) Hon’ble Minister, Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, IPR & Printing Departments Shri.Lok Nath Sharma along with Secretary FS&ADD, Shri.Khorlo Bhutia, Secretary, H&CCDD, Shri.D.K.Bhandari and CEO, Sikkim Organic Mission Dr.S.Anbalagan attended the State Agricultural Ministers’ Conference held at New Delhi on 8th July, 2019. The conference was organised under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Shri. Narendra Singh Tomar to discuss and obtain feedback from the States on the Policy matters on various schemes such as PM-KISAN, PM Kisan Maan Dhan Yojna, KCC, PMFBY, APLM Act, Contract Act. The conference also deliberated on other activities such as organic farming and export strategies of agricultural commodities.
The union Minister highlighted the importance of providing technological intervention to all farmers especially marginal and small farmers to ensure doubling of farmer’s incomes. He also highlighted the importance of conservation of water. On organic farming, he stressed that only the North Eastern Region of the country has taken the lead and other States should follow suit. He also mentioned that all States should replicate the Sikkim model of organic farming and should send officers and farmers to Sikkim to learn about organic farming.
The State Agriculture Minister Shri.L.N.Sharma presented the issues faced by Sikkim in the agriculture sector and sought the intervention of the Union Government in the following areas -support for creation ofwater harvesting infrastructure to every farmer, assistance to FPOs for equity grant, creation of cold chain facilities in the State and for strenghthening the research works in the organic sector by various Central Government institutions in the State.
The Minister later called on the Union Minister of State (Agri) Shri.Purushottam Rupala who assured all support from the Government of India to Sikkim. The MoS also mentioned that Sikkim has set an example in the field of organic farming and it is time the farmers reaped the benefits of organic farming in the State.
Shri.L.N.Sharma also visited the IFFCO office and took stock of the progress of the Joint Venture project Sikkim IFFCO organics Ltd (SIOL), a Joint Venture between Government of Sikkim and IFFCO for creating processing facility in Sikkim for organic commodities and other allied activities. During the meeting with SIOL, he said that the JV project offers hope to the farmers in providing market access to farmers and it should start production as soon as possible.
The Minister will also meet Union Ministers of the following Ministries during his stay- Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Animal Husbandry, Food Processing, Information and Broadcasting as well as Minister of DONER.