Tripura govt appreciates Centre's farmer incentive schemes

Agartala, Mar 19 (UNI) The Tripura government has appreciated the Centre's move to provide incentives to farmers for optimum use of improved and modern agricultural technology and other inputs in order to increase production and cut costs.

Talking to UNI here today, state Agriculture Minister Aghore Debbarma said the Centrally Sponsored Scheme was a great support to the state's programmes for Extension Reforms launched during 2005-06.

The programme aims at delivery of farmer driven extension services for disseminating information on modern agriculture technologies and other support services, which may help increase productivity through new institutional arrangements.

The Centrally Sponsored Scheme on National Horticulture Mission (NHM) was being implemented for the holistic development of horticulture sector, duly ensuring forward and backward linkages with the active participation of all the stakeholders in the state.

Under the scheme, assistance was provided to the farmers for taking up various activities related to horticulture, including area coverage, rejuvenation of senile orchards, protected cultivation organic farming, promotion of integrated nutrient management/integrated pest management and bee-keeping, Mr Debbarma stated.

Assistance was also provided for creation of water resources and infrastructure for post-harvest management and markets.

The Post Harvest Technology and Management formulated for implementation during the 11th Five Year Plan aims at establishment of units for transfer of primary processing, technology, value addition, low cost scientific storage, packaging units and technologies for bi-product management, demonstration of technologies, training of farmers, entrepreneurs and scientist, he added.

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