Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, yesterday attended the Inaugural Session of three days’ national seminar on ‘Interface with Award Winning KVKs Building of Success’ at College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, CAU, Umiam. 

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, said that the program which was being held for the first time in the country is simple yet important that recognizes the work of the KVKs. “Besides acknowledging the services of KVK scientists it gives an opportunity to be able to share the best practices that are happening in different KVKs throughout the country, especially in the Northeast for the ultimate benefit of the farmers,” he said.

 

The Chief Minister also said that the famers have always been the core focus of the government of Meghalaya. “The farmers have multiple problems of procuring seeds on time, market connectivity, lack of storage facilities, lack of technical and scientific support and lack of packaging facilities for the products,” he said. He said that the farmers need different interventions at different levels. 

 

He also said that it would not be in the fitness of things to bring a practice from outside and forcing the people to do it. “Changing the entire way of farming would be incorrect and unfair but to bring in scientific and technical knowledge and skills to the existing practices to achieve a sustainable model of farming is the real challenge,” he said. He further added that the farmers are the asset of the nation and solutions to the problems of the farmers also requires innovation and planning. 

He further suggested that the deliberations of the seminar should be documented and shared with every State so that each State can adopt some of the practices that are most suitable for the State.