Agriculture an opportunity, not a challenge in Arunachal: Mein

Despite hurdles of varied topography and climatic condition, agriculture is an opportunity rather than a challenge in Arunachal Pradesh, state agriculture and horticulture minister Chowna Mein said.
"Our state is unique with tropical and subtropical, temperate and alpine zones which provide opportunity for cultivating agriculture and horticulture produces of different climatic zones, rare in rest of the country," Mein said.
On the Centre's policy intervention for productivity and market linkages, he said the state has huge available land resources and more thrust has been given to area expansion and implementation of agri-mechanisation programmes.
State's crop production enhanced by 14 per cent in 2014-15 in comparison to 2011-12 besides hike in production of rice, cereals and pulses by 12.8 per cent during last three years.

The National Food security Mission helped rice production to rise from 2060 kg per hectare in 2011-12 to 2240 kg per hectare in 2014-15, he said.
"This exemplary work had facilitated the state to win Krishi Karman Award for three consecutive years from the Centre," he added.
He said, under Centre's Vision-2030, there is a proposal to set up mandis/auction centers in various zones to benefit the farmers.
"Cold storages, collection centers, refrigerated vans are proposed while the department is actively working on construction of market sheds, way-side marketing amenities," he said.