Hon’ble Union Minister of State Agriculture Interacted with ICAR-NOFRI
Shri Parshottam Rupala, Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India reviewed the progress of various Central Government Schemes in Sikkim on December, 27, 2016. During the program, Dr. R.K. Avasthe, Joint Director, ICAR-National Organic Farming Research Institute, Tadong, Gangtok presented the overview of ICAR-NOFRI research, development and technology transfer activities. He briefed the Hon’ble Union Minister that realizing the need for sound organic research support in the country, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Sikkim Centre, Tadong, Gangtok has been upgraded to National Organic Farming Research Institute (NOFRI) w.e.f. 16 May 2016 for the improvement of health and livelihood security in the country in general and Sikkim state in particular. Addressing the gathering, Hon’ble Union Minister advised Sikkim Government for aggressive marketing of organic produce which shall not only bring remunerative price for the quality organic produce of Sikkim but will also help Sikkim farmers to capture the organic market in the country and globally. Earlier, Dr. R.K. Avasthe, Joint Director along with team of scientists including Dr. Ashish Yadav, Dr. Raghavendra Singh, Dr. Rafiqul Islam, Dr. Matber Singh and Dr. Brijesh Kumar also presented a book “Transforming Rural Sikkim: Year Round Organic Crop Production” edited by R.K. Avasthe, Yashoda Pradhan and Khorlo Bhutia to the Hon’ble Union Minister. The book earlier in the year was released by Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on January 18, 2016 while addressing the National Workshop on ‘Sustainable Agriculture and Farmers Welfare’ in which Sikkim was declared as the first fully organic farming state of India at Gangtok. The book was jointly published by Sikkim Organic Mission, Government of Sikkim, Gangtok, and National Organic Farming Research Institute, Tadong, Gangtok.
