Arunachal: AFU urges Govt to ensure real beneficiaries will get the benefit of the kitchen garden scheme
Itanagar- Arunachal Farmer’s Union ( AFU ) President Nabam Akam has urged the state government to ensure that the real beneficiaries will get the benefit of the kitchen garden scheme. He also urged the state movement to set up cold storage in every district so that perishable products can be stored for a prolonged period.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Akam highlighted various challenges being faced by farmers community in the state, including poor access to market information for farmers, lack of farmer finance and inefficient supply chains, inadequate cold storage facilities, chronic underfunding on operations & infrastructures, and shortage of lab technicians to conduct soil testing and other staff.
Akam urged the concerned authority to make field visits, verify the spot and reach out to farmers at the grassroots level so as to identify the true beneficiaries.
“No concrete policy measures have been developed to protect the interests of farmers and if plans, policies, and inventions benefits do not reach them, agriculture will not develop,” he said.
He underlined that due to a lack of proper support system and awareness, farmers were not able to transition from a traditional style of farming to modern farming.
He said, “Farmers in the state are facing numerous problems today, especially oil-palm farmers in water management during the dry season, but despite the provision for this in the guidelines, no assistance has been provided”.
He specifically requested the state to take adequate steps to eradicate foot and mouth disease in livestock and monitor swine flu spread in pigs.
Akam appealed to the state government to come up with an action plan and inclusive strategy to lay a solid foundation for a more productive and diversified agricultural sector.
We would also like to request the State Government to direct the concerned department to appoint any handicapped staff to various posts of field assistants as they will not be capable of make field visits in remote hilly areas ” he further appealed.
