ICAR Basar Promotes Diversified Vegetable Farming and Soil Conservation in Leparada
Two programmes at Gori and Soi village brought scientists, agriculture officials and farmers together to promote diversified vegetable cultivation, soil moisture conservation and sustainable farming practices.
GORI- The ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Arunachal Pradesh Centre, Basar, organised a field day on diversified vegetable production at its Research Farm in Gori on Tuesday, while a separate Khet Bachao Abhiyan programme at Soi village focused on soil conservation and improved farming practices in Leparada district.
The field day, titled “Diversified Vegetable Production through Crop Cafeteria: From Demonstration to Harvest”, aimed to familiarise farmers with different vegetable crops and demonstrate their performance under local growing conditions.
Henbom Dirchi, District Horticulture Officer (DHO), Leparada, attended the programme as Chief Guest.
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Crop cafeteria approach highlights vegetable farming options
Dr Patu K. Zeliang, Senior Scientist (GPB), outlined the objectives of the field day and highlighted its role in demonstrating improved vegetable production technologies directly to farmers.
Emphasising the principle of “seeing is believing”, Zeliang explained that the crop cafeteria approach enables farmers to observe different crops and assess their suitability according to local conditions, available resources and individual preferences.
Addressing the participants, Dirchi stressed the importance of demonstrating diversified vegetable cultivation to encourage improved farming practices and promote vegetable production as a livelihood option.
He requested ICAR to undertake studies to identify suitable and profitable vegetable crops for Leparada district, taking into account farmers’ limited resources, facilities and income. He also assured that the Department of Horticulture would recommend suitable crops to farmers for wider adoption.
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Focus on local vegetable production
Dr Doni Jini, Head of the Regional Centre, highlighted the need to strengthen local vegetable production to meet market demand and reduce dependence on supplies from Assam.
He encouraged farmers to make greater use of the region’s potential for diversified vegetable cultivation to improve income, increase local availability and strengthen agricultural self-reliance.
The programme included visits to demonstration plots, followed by group discussions in which farmers raised questions about crop production, management and marketing. Scientists from agriculture and allied disciplines, including animal husbandry, responded with practical suggestions suited to local farming conditions.
A total of 42 people participated in the field day, including 29 farm women and officials.
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Khet Bachao Abhiyan focuses on soil conservation
Separately, the District Agriculture Office (DAO), Leparada, in collaboration with ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Basar, conducted the ongoing Khet Bachao Abhiyan programme at Soi village.
Dr Ampee Tasung, Scientist (Soil Science), highlighted the importance of soil moisture conservation for improving crop yields under rainfed conditions. He also emphasised soil conservation, double cropping and the cultivation of potential crops.
Shri Nyabom Bam, Agriculture Development Officer (ADO), Basar, Leparada, briefed farmers on various government agricultural schemes.
The programme was attended by 12 farmers, including seven women and five men.
Strengthening farming practices in Leparada
The two programmes highlighted efforts to promote location-specific farming practices through cooperation between scientists, agriculture officials and local farmers.
While the field day at Gori focused on diversified vegetable cultivation and market-oriented production, the Khet Bachao Abhiyan at Soi addressed soil conservation, moisture management and crop diversification.
Together, the activities aimed to support more efficient use of local agricultural resources, improve farming opportunities and strengthen rural livelihoods in Leparada district.
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