Arunachal Pradesh has huge potential for rubber cultivations- Chowna Mein
ITANAGAR- Deputy Chief Minister, Chowna Mein in a meeting with the Chairman cum Executive Director, Rubber Board of India, Dr K N Raghavan has urged to revive the rubber plantations in the State in order to boost the economy of the people.
Chowna Mein said that there is huge potential of rubber cultivations in the State and it has come up in a big way in the whole of North Eastern States some years back. However, there is reluctant among the people to grow because of the non-marketing of their product. He urged the Rubber Board to made subsidy available to the farmers and increase their activities by conducting workshops for the people in order to restore the lost confidence amongst the people on Rubber cultivation.
He said that the State has highest land bank in the North East and has the potential to become the Rubber bowl of the North East. He called upon the Rubber Board to Transform Arunachal as a Rubber Bowl of North East by their active participation.
Minister of Agriculture, Tage Taki has urged the Rubber Board to encourage the farmers of the State to grow Rubber crop adding that the people will be encouraged when they see others reaping benefits from the crop. He stated that the Rubber Plantation has drastically fall down citing that the Department of Agriculture in the last few years have grown around 1,73,000 rubber saplings but there was very less takers as most of the people were reluctant to grow the crop.
Advisor to Minister of Agriculture, Gabriel D Wangsu also urged to bring back the interests to grow Rubber Crop amongst the people of the State while doing away with various fear psychosis associated with it.
Dr Raghavan have assured to bring more areas under Rubber cultivation in the State and also assured to impart training to the rubber growers for tapping and to further facilitate in marketing of the rubber sheets after harvest. He exuded hope that after few years, the people will see the benefits coming from the rubber cultivation as industries will also be coming up in the State in future.
Among others, Binoy Luckose, Jt Rubber production Commissioner (In charge), Hage Tari, Secretary (Trade & Commerce and Industry), Tokong Pertin, Director (Trade & Commerce) and Anong Lego, Director of Agriculture also attended the meeting.
