SHILLONG: The ICAR Research Complex, NEH Region will celebrate its 41st Foundation Day on Friday. The institute which started its journey from ‘Amrit Bhawan’ in Laban was initially mandated to improve and develop sustainable farming systems for different agro climatic and socio economic conditions in the North Eastern Region. It is now one of the bigger institutes of ICAR and has research centres in all states of the North Eastern Hill Region.
Based on its achievements, the institute also received the prestigious Sardar Vallav Bhai Patel Best ICAR Institute Award for 2011-12. Encouraged by this, the institute started two awards, Prof. MS Swaminathan National Award and Dr. DN Borthakur Regional Award, for promoting research on hill agriculture and farming system. The first award will be presented on the Foundation Day on Friday. The institute will also organize the North Eastern Zone Regional Agricultural Fair on its foundation day. This year the focus is ‘Climate Change and Food Security: Enabling Farmers for Adaption and Mitigation”. Several noted agricultural scientists from across the country who have served the North Eastern region will participate in the joint event and discuss future plans for agriculture in the region.