Arunachal minister launches community horti-farming project in Anjaw District

The community horticulture farming project launched by the National Agriculture Bank for Rural Development (NABARD) would herald a new era of socio-economic development in Anjaw District, which borders China in Arunachal Pradesh, the state's Health and Family Welfare Minister, Kalikho Pul, has said.

The future of this Himalayan state's lies in the agri-horticulture sector, which contributes 57 per cent to the national gross domestic product (GDP), he said, adding the project would improve the lot of 1,016 families of 125 villages in eight circles to be implemented by the National Youth Project (NYP), he said after launching it here.

The project aimed at bringing the community under one umbrella to provide them training, technical support and market linkage for value addition to the produce for the farmers of large cardamom, kiwi, plum, apple and orange for earning remunerative prices, Pul disclosed.

Pul, who had warned of a "Kargil-like" situation in the border state for lack of development, forcing locals to migrate away from far-flung areas, and giving China an opportunity to venture deeper inside Indian territory while addressing a conference of tribal ministers from various states and union territories in Delhi on October 29 last, said this project would serve as a boon in the border area where people lead a hard life.

It would promote the vast agri-horti potential of the state with the market opening up in neighbouring South East Asian nations through the Stillwell road and exhorted the NYP to provide the market linkage.

The district valleys covered with cardamom plantation now proves that the cash crop has replaced opium, he said, and exhorted the local youth to join horticulture movement lest they leg behind.

He announced to install drying machine in every circle from his, MLALAD fund and set up de-addiction centres in opium affected districts including Anjaw, to the thunderous applause of the gathering.

Sharp rise in local SBI branch deposits by the cardamom growers' earning proved the fact, which was supplemented by progressive farmer D Awailang, "I earned Rs 25 lakh from my 10 acres land in Dalai Valley in Chaglagam circle in 2013."

Earlier, he handed over the People's Choice Award to Kasanglat Farmers' Club and lauded Greeks Network MD S Ramaswamy who demonstrated the digital pen used by NYP coordinators for easy documentation. He appreciated the NABARD and the NYP for their path-breaking initiative and assured all support.

This is largest project in North-East India to benefit the small growers to take up cultivation in one hectare land each, said NABARD Arunachal Pradesh regional office GM H K Singh, adding Sagalee farmers expanded area following success in orange cultivation.

He suggested the growers to form producers' cooperative societies to avail other benefits to make it a sustainable source of income.

Expressing his happiness, Governor Nirbhay Sharma, in a message, said that rich horticultural crops grow aplenty in the state and provide alternative sources of livelihood and income generation to the rural communities.

The project would provide sustainable livelihood and go a long way in curbing opium cultivation and strengthen the rural economy, he said.

Appreciating NYP for its commendable job in providing alternate livelihood to the people in distress, he lauded the NABARD and NYP for their initiative and felicitated the people of Anjaw.

The function began after observing a minute's silence to pray for the eternal peace of former chief minister Jarbom Gamlin.

NYP president H. P Biswas and vice president Pradeep Kumar explained how they had convinced 22 opium addicts to form two farmers' club at Goiliang and Kasonglat with the support of NABARD to up large cardamom cultivation and other farming activities in 2010.

Their produce was sold for Rs 1.67 crore in 2011-12 with the NYP's market linkage. The cultivation served as alternate source of livelihood for them to get distracted from opium cultivation, replicated by many in the district to ink a success story to ink a success story, they said.

While this project is recognition of the good deed, NABARD has made a documentary of the success story as national role model to be upload to NABARD's national portal and YouTube soon besides distributing one lakh posters of Anjaw cardamom growers in the country.

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