Chief secretary stresses on making agriculture lucrative

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Ramesh Negi today stressed on making agriculture glamorous, dignified and popular in the state.
Negi accompanied by Trade and Commerce Commissioner Hage Bath, Tourism Secretary Joram Beda, Art and culture secretary Dani Sulu and a host of officials visited Maj Rubber Nursery and Plantation, owned by Arunachal Pradesh State Rubber Board (APSRB) chairman Likha Maj at Tarajuli in Assam-Arunachal border to take stock of progress of the plantation spread across an area of 300 hectares.
Terming farming as a lucrative avocation, Negi said that people never pay respect to such venture but run behind white coloured job.

Advocating for conducting mapping of all the foothill areas of the state to develop rubber cultivation to wean away the practice of shifting cultivation he called for mooting a management plan with assistance from Rubber Board of India (RBI) for popularising rubber plantation in the state.
"We need to develop a management system for small and big rubber growers in the state with all technical support from the RBI," he pointed out and assured to prepare a master plan for rubber cultivation in the state.
While calling for popularizing rubber cultivation in schools, Negi said that rubber would not only provide money but would also give due respect to the farmers to lead a descent and prestigious life.

He urged the RBI to set up rubber nurseries in the state and assured to rope in fund from various agencies like NEC, DoNER and NABARD.
Bath while dwelling on the Chief Minister Mission mode programme on tea and rubber launched in the state during 2012-13, informed that the government during 2014-15 has earmarked an amount of three crore for tea and another five crore for rubber cultivation under the programme.
He said during 2012-13, an amount of five crore including two crore for rubber was sanctioned where assistance were provided to 485 tea farmers and 237 rubber growers in the state.