Prime Minister Interacted with Farmers

The Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi for the first time had direct interaction with farmers across the country on 20 June, 2018 through video conferencing. The Doordarshan, DD Kisan, Aakashvaani and Namo app broadcast the live interaction programme with farmers. The farmers of Sikkim under ICAR-KVK, East Sikkim, ICAR-NOFRI had been selected among the KVK’s of the whole North-Eastern region for the interaction programme.  Prime Minister interacted with Shri Nim Tshering Lepcha of Nandok village and Smt. Pemkit Lepcha of Timpyem village of East Sikkim district.

Prime Minister enquired from Smt  Pemkit Lepcha, a progressive woman farmer on her on-going agricultural activities. She informed him that she is undertaking organic production of vegetable pea, cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage in rice fallow under zero tillage system.  She was cultivating maize/rice in her land and earning an annual income of Rs 50,000-   in an area of 0.3 ha land before KVK intervention. After hands on training from ICAR-KVK, East Sikkim on zero-till vegetable pea technology of ICAR-NOFRI, her income has increased more than Rs 2.0 lakh and also increased the cropping intensity to 200 %.

The Prime Minister also interacted with Shri Nim Tshering Lepcha enquired about organic ginger production, as Sikkim is famous for organic spices production. Shri Lepcha, informed the him that he is practicing organic agriculture since 2013 and earned Rs. 1.25 lakh per year but after the hands-on training from ICAR-KVK East Sikkim and technological intervention with ICAR-NOFRI in the year 2014, his income has increased up to Rs 6.5 lakhs in a year by cultivating ginger, off-season vegetables, garden pea, large cardamom, dairy, poultry, piggery and fisheries from his 6.0 acres of land through Integrated Organic Farming System (IOFS).  

Twenty eight farmers from the East Sikkim district were present at NIC, Gangtok during the live interaction programme. The interaction programme with web telecast was also watched by total of another 108 farmers from East Sikkim along with all  the scientists of ICAR-NOFRI, SMSs of KVK and all other staffs of the institute at Conference Hall of ICAR-NOFRI, Tadong. The programme was followed by a very effective Framers- Scientist Interaction programme

(Source:ICAR-KVK-East Sikkim)