Create income-generating schemes in farming sector: Arunachal Agriculture Minister

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture minister Chowna Mein has stressed the need for motivation of all stakeholders, introduction of high yielding varieties of crops and involvement of rural youths in farming by creating income-generating schemes in the farming sector.

During a meeting with departmental officers here yesterday to review the status of schemes and programmes of the department, the minister emphasized the need to explore the feasibility for creation of more irrigation systems particularly in the foothill areas for higher production, a press release said here today.

The minister appreciated the plea of the department for arrangement of state matching share to acess central government funding against various innovative schemes and assured to take up the matter with appropriate authority.

Earlier, in a power point presentation, Agriculture Advisor A K Purkayastha elucidated the present status and future strategies for food and farm income security of the state and pointed out few important issues for consideration of the state government.

The Agri & allied sectors' contribution to state GDP was 31.6 per cent during 2011-12 as against 24.9 per cent during 2006-07 and the crop production programme in the state has maintained around 8 per cent annual growth rate in the first two years (2012-14) of the XII Plan against 6.5 per cent target, the release said.