SHILLONG: The opposition cornered Agriculture Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh with queries on agriculture and scientific method of farming in the autumn session on Wednesday.
Lyngdoh informed the House that the total number of farmers in the state is 31,439, including small and marginal farmers and the various sectors are protected cultivation, mushroom, tea, tuber crops, turmeric and ginger, bee-keeping, organic manure, fruits, innovative technologies for rice, pulses, maize, integrated farming system and seed production. Congress legislator HM Shangpliang said the state comprises 80 per cent farmers and the figure of 31,439 is very low and hoped that the department would work on a war footing. Again, Shangpliang expressed dissatisfaction at the reply of the minister on the kind of incentives given to farmers to encourage scientific methods of farming.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma came to the rescue of the minister and said apart from the training aspects to the farmers, there are different incentives given to them as well.
Rephrasing the question asked by Shangpliang, Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh asked, “Is scientific intervention related to scientific marketing?”
Central schemes
Speaking about centrally sponsored schemes, Shangpliang said, “I’m shocked to see that the allotment given by the central government has been utilised for the construction of buildings. The MLA added that it is really shocking to see that the state government has spent more than 60 per cent of the funds on construction of buildings, farmers’ hostel and spend more than Rs 10 crore when promoting welfare of farmers is the objective. “How is the government helping farmers in marketing the products?”
At this point, Conrad again spoke on behalf of the agriculture minister and said marketing is important for which lay-byes are being created, farmers’ markets have also come up in different parts of the state.
