Arunachal minister pushes for state-specific policies, youth training in agriculture

Itanagar, Sep 16 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Gabriel D Wangsu on Tuesday called for state-specific policy interventions for Himalayan and hilly regions, highlighting their unique physio-geographic and agro-climatic challenges.

Speaking at the national conference on agriculture at ICAR, Pusa complex in New Delhi, Wangsu urged the Centre to support land terracing initiatives for soil and water conservation and the expansion of cropped areas, noting that no dedicated efforts had been made in this regard so far, according to an official statement issued here.

The minister also emphasised the need to establish Agricultural Science schools across India, modeled on Industrial Training Institutes, to train educated unemployed youth in professional farming practices.

Addressing the issue of an ageing farming community, Wangsu said formal agricultural education would play a crucial role in attracting younger generations to agriculture.

He further proposed the creation of a dedicated cadre, “Indian Agriculture & Allied Services,” to streamline, standardise, and recognise the services of agricultural scientists, drawing resounding applause from attendees.

The conference, chaired by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, brought together ministers, senior officials, scientists, and stakeholders from across the country to strategise for a successful Rabi season.

Chouhan announced a production target of 362.50 million tonnes for 2025–26 and assured adequate seed availability, citing 25 million metric tonnes on hand against a projected requirement of 22.9 million metric tonnes.

He also confirmed timely coordination with the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers to ensure smooth distribution of inputs.

Chouhan, during the conference, also unveiled the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ for Rabi crops, to be launched on October 3, with over 2,000 teams of scientists and officials visiting villages to provide farmers with timely guidance under the ‘Lab to Land’ initiative.

He highlighted the need to boost pulses and oilseeds productivity while sustaining strong performance in rice and wheat production, and outlined measures to curb counterfeit agro-inputs, citing enforcement successes in states like Rajasthan. PTI UPL NN