Chief Minister Flags Off Matsya e-Vaahini and e-Rickshaw to Support Fish Farmers
Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated the State Agriculture Information Hub-cum-Farmers’ Hostel at Naharlagun, calling it a dedicated centre for farmer training, knowledge-sharing and agricultural entrepreneurship.
NAHARLAGUN- Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated the State Agriculture Information Hub-cum-Farmers’ Hostel at Naharlagun on Sunday, describing the facility as Arunachal Pradesh’s first dedicated infrastructure exclusively created for farmers and aimed at strengthening capacity building, technical training and professional exposure across the agriculture and allied sectors.
The inauguration was accompanied by the flagging off of the Matsya e-Vaahini and an e-Rickshaw, initiatives intended to improve transportation and market connectivity for fish farmers while promoting sustainable logistics within the fisheries sector.
Highlighting the importance of the newly established Farmers’ Hostel, Khandu said the facility should become a meaningful centre for knowledge-sharing rather than merely an accommodation space. He said farmers from different parts of the State would be able to stay at the hostel and participate in week-long or longer specialised training programmes focused on specific crops and allied agricultural activities.
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The Chief Minister urged the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry to make full use of the facility by organising practical and specialised training suited to Arunachal Pradesh’s diverse agricultural conditions. He also called for bringing experts from across the country to train farmers in modern technologies, technical know-how, value addition and market-oriented farming practices.
Emphasising the State’s natural agricultural advantages, Khandu said Arunachal Pradesh’s agro-climatic diversity—from tropical and subtropical foothills to temperate and alpine regions—provides enormous potential for agriculture and horticulture. He said this diversity should be transformed into sustainable livelihood and entrepreneurship opportunities through better planning and scientific farming.
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Khandu further stressed that farmers require not only hard work but also stronger market linkages, access to finance and professional guidance to ensure profitable farming. He pointed to the growing role of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Farmer Producer Companies and cooperatives in helping rural entrepreneurs access institutional support, banking facilities and organised business opportunities.
He announced that the State Government would soon launch a major cooperative movement involving the Cooperative Department, Rural Development Department and Panchayati Raj institutions, with the objective of strengthening collective rural enterprises and improving economic opportunities for farmers.
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On agricultural value addition, the Chief Minister identified the upcoming Mega Food Park at Banderdewa as a key infrastructure project that could provide processing facilities and business opportunities for FPOs and producer companies. He also referred to the ongoing Mini Food Park at Namsai, saying locally produced agricultural and horticultural commodities should increasingly move beyond farms into processing and organised markets.
Khandu said Arunachal Pradesh also has significant market potential for locally produced commodities because of its strategic location and the presence of the Indian Army, ITBP and other Central Armed Police Forces. According to him, the government has already been promoting the supply of locally produced goods to the armed forces through cooperatives in several districts and wants farmers to align production with market demand.
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The Chief Minister also outlined the State’s broader agricultural roadmap, noting that Arunachal Pradesh has been entrusted with responsibilities relating to poultry, dairy, meat and fisheries under a regional development exercise for the Northeast. He said a roadmap containing short-, medium- and long-term strategies had been prepared following extensive consultations and submitted during the North Eastern Council meeting in Shillong.
Speaking on oil palm cultivation, Khandu said the State has set a target of bringing 36,000 hectares under oil palm cultivation over the next five years while developing processing infrastructure in suitable locations. He also congratulated coffee growers on the launch of the Organic Coffee initiative under the MOVCD-NER programme and highlighted recently approved State policies for agriculture, apiculture and horticulture as measures expected to create future opportunities for farmers and young entrepreneurs.
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During his visit to the newly inaugurated Farmers’ Hostel, Khandu inspected the rooms and directed the concerned authorities to provide furniture and other essential facilities immediately. He further instructed that funds be ensured within the current financial year so the hostel could become fully operational without delay.
The inauguration marks a significant institutional step in Arunachal Pradesh’s effort to strengthen farmer education, entrepreneurship and market-oriented agriculture by combining training infrastructure with improved support systems across agriculture and allied sectors.
