Northeast states have huge potential in agriculture: Pawar

Union Minister of Agriculture and Food Processing Sharad Pawar today said the country's northeast region holds huge potential in agriculture and insisted on crop diversification in the states of the area.
Inaugurating the Conference of Agriculture Ministers of northeastern states here at the Chintan Bhawan, Pawar said the region held tremendous potential in agricultural front on account of its fertile land, abundant water resources, dependable rainfall and vast bio diversity.
Highlighting the trend of single crop cultivation in the region, the Minister suggested the need to adopt crop diversification to suit agro-climatic conditions of the area.
The Minister also urged the states to make an integrated effort for post harvest management, marketing and food processing by using funds under various Central schemes in an innovative manner and utilise the National Mission for Food Processing for it.

Earlier, addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling said the organic policy adopted in the state by launching Sikkim Organic Mission to make Sikkim a fully organic state by 2015 was going on in full swing.
Environmental security, product branding, health safety and enhancement in farm returns were some of the important objectives of this flagship programme, he said.

The Chief Minister further said that some common areas of concern for the northeastern states needs support from the Centre, like providing special package to tackle food security issue and sustainability of mountain farming system.
The conference was attended by the Speaker of Sikkim Legislative Assembly, ministers of Agriculture from the northeastern states and other senior officials.

Pawar is slated to preside over the Conference of Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries Ministers of northeastern states tomorrow and would be visiting the College of Agriculture Engineering at Marchak in East Sikkim and Temi Tea Estate in South Sikkim on November 30.