Agriculture gets a boost in Sikkim; Soreng-Chakung Farmers gets motivated

Soreng: This afternoon of 14 August 2021, the agriculture, Horticulture, and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services departments continued the constituency-wise visit from Soreng-Chakung constituency after concluding their visit to Daramdin constituency.

 Agriculture & Horticulture minister Lok Nath Sharma attended the awareness-cum-token distribution programme in the special presence of area MLA Aditya Golay at Community Hall, Soreng.

 Over 80 farming families received various tokens including power tiller, HDPE coil pipe, spice grinder, power spray, chaff cutter, brush cutter, garden tools, knapsack sprayer, vegetable collection center, turmeric grinder, greenhouse, seedlings for strawberry cultivation, cymbidium orchid, tissue culture for banana/ grafted avocado, sheep, goattery farming and chaff cutter under Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services departments. Besides, ten families also received a token of intensive fish culture for carp farming and trout culture in raceway tank schemes under the Directorate of Fisheries.

While addressing, Minister has urged the beneficiaries to value the received agricultural tools/ machines and every token and to utilize adequately for necessary purpose and provide maintenance/servicing on time.

Also, the minister threw light on the village and farming-centric financial schemes particularly the Mukhya Mantri Krishi Atmanirbhar Yojana initiated by the State government which has allocated Rs.5 crore for the current financial year to provide financial incentives and urged the farming community to take benefit of the opportunity by increasing productivity and marketing through certified agencies.

 The State government is working tirelessly to transform Sikkim in numerous sectors in practice under the leadership of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and has also appointed Agriculture Development officers, Horticulture Development officers, Veterinary officers, fulfilling the long pending requirement of the technical manpower in the field for farmers’ welfare.

 The State government will benefit 350 households with trout and carp farming under intensive fish culture and trout culture in raceway schemes wherein each beneficiary will receive a cash amount of Rs. 1.20 lakh, seeds (fry), feeds, and necessary technical supports.

 Sharma also announced Chakung Chumbong and Malbasey Budang as a cluster under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayeen Yojana (PMKSY).

 During the meeting, MLA Aditya Golay too acknowledged the field visit of entire departmental machinery to deliver benefits at the doorsteps of the farming community in various constituencies and advised educated youths to adopt entrepreneurship in farming and allied sectors to generate a sustainable source of income. 

 Agriculture secretary Rinzing C. Bhutia further briefed on PMKISAN Yojana and mentioned that there is a tremendous increase in the number of beneficiaries from single-digit to over ten thousand after the formation of the new government and encouraged farmers to get registered under PMKISAN Yojana to be benefited from the financial incentives of Rs 6000 on annual basis.