Govt waiting to upscale natural farming

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 22: Nearly 500 farmers have been trained and are practising natural farming in 25 villages even as the State government is waiting for the Centre’s approval to scale up the area under the natural farming in the state.

This was informed by the Minister-in-charge of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ampareen Lyngdoh while replying to a short-duration discussion tabled by UDP Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem on the last day of the Assembly’s autumn session today.

Lyngdoh said the Meghalaya State Rural Livelihood Society (MSRLS) has initiated training on national farming across the state. They have entered into an agreement with experts from Andhra Pradesh and have established 18 farmer field schools and have also trained over 35 community resource persons (CRPs) who are further promoting and training farmers in their areas to practice natural farming.

She informed over 475 farmers have been trained so far, in natural farming and are practising the same in 500 acres across 25 villages. Under the program, MSRLS has also set up 380 multi-cropped kitchen gardens.

Lyngdoh also said that the department has submitted the annual action plan for natural farming to the Government of India for approval.

“If approved, the department will implement the scheme as per the National Natural Farming Guidelines and scale up the area under natural farming in the state,” she added.

Stating that organic farming is the other alternative which is being promoted at a large scale, the minister said currently, 32,000 ha is under organic farming and the government has plans to bring in an additional 50,000 ha by 2030.

“Much like natural farming, this farming system is also harmonious with soil and local biodiversity, increases productivity, is good for the health of the consumers and producers, and also fetches better remuneration for the farmers,” she said.

On the initiatives to promote organic and natural farming in the state, Lyngdoh said that the department is implementing the centrally sponsored Mission Organic for Value-chain Development – North East Region (MOVCDNER), under which 28 FPOs have been set up and are practising organic cultivation.

The Cabinet endorsed the Meghalaya State Organic and Natural Farming policy on January  11, 2023. This comprehensive policy aims to foster organic farming as a viable income-generating activity for farmers. It outlines crucial objectives, including capacity building, technology development and augmenting farmers’ income through training, value addition and market linkages.

She said the establishment of Meghalaya’s Natural and Organic Society for Livelihood and Innovation in Agriculture (MEGNOLIA) marks a pivotal step in our journey to being a leader in organic cultivation in the country.

MEGNOLIA will act as a dedicated entity, synergizing efforts across departments to propel organic and natural farming. This society is set to play a pivotal role in realising the objectives set forth in the state’s organic and natural farming policy.

The minister said while the state believes in the principles of organic and natural farming, we are also cognizant of the challenges faced by other North Eastern states that have taken drastic steps towards promoting organic farming.

Asserting that a blanket ban on the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers puts farmers who are using chemical inputs at a disadvantage, Lyngdoh said, “Therefore the government’s approach is to first set in place systems that help farmers transition to organic and natural farming and simultaneously phase away the use of chemical farm inputs.”

“We are building the state’s capacity in the production of bio-inputs so that our farmers are not reliant on costly inputs from outside the state and don’t compromise on yields. This will ensure lower cost of production and thus farmers will be able to compete with in-organically farmed produce from outside,” she added.

At present the state has the capacity to produce over 70MT from 3 bio input plants and the same is being scaled up.

Through various extension services and state and central schemes, the farmers are being trained in good agricultural practices for natural and organic farming. The objective is to build the capacities of the farmers to transition and adopt these systems to agriculture without compromising on yield and quality of the produce.

Scuffle between NEHU students not communal

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 19: The North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) today said the recent scuffle among students residing in the hostel was in no way related to communal issues.

The Monday night incident, which involved a verbal altercation and physical confrontation among students residing in the hostel, was related to disagreements regarding the rules and regulations governing hostel life.

Immediate action was taken to diffuse the situation and ensure the safety and well-being of all students involved.

The Dean of Students Welfare, the Warden of Hostel 19 and the University’s Security Officer promptly arrived at the scene to pacify the situation and maintain order.

Furthermore, local law enforcement was notified of the incident, and they promptly arrived on the NEHU premises to assess the situation and assist in maintaining peace and order.

The NEHU Vice Chancellor Prof PS Shukla today convened a high-level meeting to address the incident comprehensively. The meeting was attended Registrar, the Dean of Students Welfare, Proctor, Security Officer, and the Warden of Hostel No. 19.

“The purpose of this meeting was to thoroughly discuss the matter and ensure that due disciplinary actions are taken in accordance with the rules and regulations of the University,” NEHU PRO Dr Davidson Pyngrope said in a statement.

“NEHU wishes to emphasize that the situation has been brought under control, and the incident was in no way related to communal issues, as falsely reported by various sources. The University remains committed to upholding a safe and inclusive environment for all students, and any breaches of conduct will be addressed with utmost seriousness and adherence to established protocols,” he said.

Meanwhile, NEHU urged all stakeholders, including staff, students, parents, and the general public, to rely on official statements and verified information provided by the University to avoid spreading baseless rumours or misinformation.

“The University remains dedicated to the holistic development and well-being of its student community and will continue to take all necessary steps to maintain a harmonious and conducive learning environment,” Prof Pyngrope said.

7th NEGC-2023 concludes at USTM

The three-day-long 7th North East Graduate Congress (NEGC)-2023 has successfully concluded today at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) with the participation of more than 10,000 college students from various colleges of the eight northeastern states of India.

Among the various competitions, the Best Performing College award went to Sibsagar College, while Kampur College won the Best Magazine prize. The Best Debater award went to Saphira Magdaline Lyngdoh from St Anthony’s College, Shillong, and the winner of the Cultural Procession was Mayong Ancholik College.

A total of 46 competitions in various sports, cultural, literary and start-up categories, as well as sessions on competitive examinations, personality development and a job fair took place in this mega youth event. Attractive awards worth Rs 50 lakh, including two-wheelers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones and cash prizes were awarded to the winners of different competitions.

Addressing a large gathering of students and teachers, Mahbubul Hoque, Chancellor of USTM, said, “We have been organising NEGC to benefit the region’s youths by helping them set their vision so that they can shoulder responsibilities and contribute to nation-building.” NEGC is the most acclaimed flagship programme of USTM that aims to inculcate the spirit of competitiveness, regional integrity, social harmony and brotherhood among the youth, he added.

To provide the best employment opportunities to the educated youths of the region, a mega job fair was also organized for the NEGC participants. More than 500 Graduates from various institutions participated in the Job Fair. Companies such as Bajaj Allianz, Reliance Jio, Kotak Life Insurance, CavinKare, Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail, MGT Motors Pvt. Ltd were a part of the Job Fair to recruit the youths. Around 150 students have been shortlisted for different positions from technical to non-technical profiles.

A spectacular view of the rich cultural mosaic of the North East was showcased by thousands of the youth from different colleges of the eight states of the region at the playground of USTM. The inaugural ceremony of NEGC-2023 was witnessed by a galaxy of prominent personalities ranging from youth icons, academia, politicians, cultural and sports icons, motivational speakers, principals of various colleges, faculty members and many students.

In this 7th edition of NEGC, various co-curricular activities were organised. The cultural competitions include cultural showcasing, skit, group song, group dance, on-the-spot painting, mehendi, cartooning, photography and rongoli. The sports competitions are volleyball, kabaddi, chess, arm wrestling, powerlifting, badminton, basketball, and horse riding. The literary competitions include debate, quiz and start-up.