GANGTOK/ AMN /
More than three hundred Agriculture scientists, academicians, government departmental representatives and Several state ministers and senior officers today discussed issues related to sustainable farming and to chalk out strategy to solve various critical issues of agriculture here.
The five technical sessions were organized today in different locations of Gangtok, where all concerned parties went through brain storming discussions. The technical session will present its report tomorrow. Earlier, The Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh inaugurated this National conference at Chintan Bhawan in Gangtok.
The Agriculture Minister said that this national conference would provide a platform for fruitful discussions, deliberations and sharing of experiences in facing the various challenges of the agriculture sector, ensuring its sustainable growth and will also fulfill our nutritional security needs. He also expressed his concern about imbalanced utilization of different types of fertilizers resulting in deterioration of the soil health.
In his inaugural address, the Agriculture Minister underlined various initiatives taken by government for the balance growth of agriculture and to address many critical issues facing by Agriculture sector. He added that there were also concern of low yields in rainfed and hilly areas apart from the larger issue of sustainability of production.
However five technical experts groups have already engaged in finalizing future plan of action for agriculture The Agriculture minister also advocated for comprehensive organic farming practices across the country .Sikkim is already leading in organic farming and state will touched another mile stone tomorrow when Prime Minister will announce Sikkim as the first fully organic farming state in the country.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Agriculture & FW, Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan urged the participants in the conference to bring out positive outsides from the conference to address the various issues related to agriculture and farmers. “Our Government has touches all areas of the agriculture for the welfare of our farmers,” he adds.
He also congratulated the Sikkim Government and its CM for taken a unique initiative to make Sikkim an Organic State. A member of NITI Aayog, Dr Ramesh Chand and Secretary for Agriculture & FW, GoI, Siraj Hussia also addressed the conference .