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Meghalaya Agriculture Minister Dr M Ampareen Lyngdoh on Wednesday told Meghalaya News 24, that the Children of farmers should go back to help their farmer parents or else it’s going to be difficult for the farmers in the state to cope up with the emerging technology.
Stating that a very old fashioned concept of farming is practiced in the state, Dr Lyngdoh stressed on the need to change this concept.
“Children of farmers should go back to help their farmer parents otherwise it’s going to be difficult. We have a very old fashioned concept of farming in the State of Meghalaya, we need to change that that these people that will change that. Concepts are changed by people, players in the farming sector,” Dr Lyngdoh said.
“The Government cannot come from outside and change the mindset of farmers, the farmers themselves have to do it and these exposures will show them,” the Minister said.
She further said the State Government is in a stage to understand the requirements of these farmers to sell their products as the Minister highlighted various initiatives taken by the state Government and now the Government has to start looking at how to make a product sell.
“We need to handhold them (farmer) trained them on MoU signing, MoU preparations, we need to train them (farmer) expose them to the ensure that they know how to sign a contract,” Lyngdoh added while referring to various initiative the state Government has to undertake to educate these farmers.
Lyngdoh also mentioned that many young graduates now began to look towards farming as a career option. They themselves are leading entrepreneurs in some of the farm producing groups.
They are now aware of world standards as the state needs to educate young entrepreneurs to go back and help their mothers who may or may not be educated.
Talking about the organic revolution in the state, the agriculture Minister said as much as 24 thousand hectares of land are organic certified as even farmers now understand the value of organic farming.
“Traditionally Natural farming practices predominant in Meghalaya, which certain products and produce where inorganic faming is being practiced and in certain belts. As of today 24,000 hectors have of land have been organic certified, so now we are also looking at that farmers understands the value of organic farming as well. We have a mission which means we are moving on a mission mode to popularise the natural farming practices,” The Minister said.
The state Government this year adopted the “Meghalaya State Organic and Natural Farming Policy 2023” to turn the hill state into a “national leader” in organic farming.