Vegetable Initiative for Urban Cluster training begins in Namchi

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF WATER HARVESTING TANKS DISTRIBUTED
NAMCHI, 01 Mar: The Department of Food Security and Agriculture, Horticulture and Cash Crop Development under Natural Resource Management (NRM) distributed financial assistance of Rs. 29, 60,000 lakh to 74 beneficiaries of Namchi, South Sikkim. This financial assistance was provided to 74 progressive farmers under Namchi GPU amounting to Rs. 40,000 each for the construction of water harvesting tanks while 148 coil poly pipes were also distributed among the beneficiaries.
This was the first phase of its distribution programme which was sanctioned earlier by the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling during his Sikkim Brahman. The CM had sanctioned 747 WHT in the South District and out of which 74 WHT are completed and the rest are in the process of completion. The following areas are covered in South District, Assangthang GPU, Upper Falidara, Lower Salleybong, Salghari GPU, Lower Boomtar, Sorok Sympani GPU, Sumbuk Kartikey GPU, Lungchok Kakaray GPU, Burfung Jarung GPU, Kewzing Bhakhim GPU, Lamaten Tingmoo GPU, Rayong Tingkitam GPU, Rong Bul GPU and Lower Kamrang.
A programme was organized here at Namchi Community Centre by the department in which the Minister of the concerned Department, DN Thakarpa was present as the chief guest while it was also attended by the Secretary, Vishal Chauhan, Principal Director Horticulture, DK Rai, Director NRM/ Soil, Achung Bhutia, Additional Director NRM, AK Thapa, Joint Director NRM, CB Rai and other departmental officials.
While addressing the programme Mr Thakarpa said that the beneficiaries have been provided with these benefits as per the scheme for drought prone zones sanctioned by the Chief Minster during his village-to-village tour last year. Further he said that the aim of the department is to promote farming and marketing at the cluster level which according to him will give more benefits to the farmers.
He also said that this will provide a helping hand in the Chief Minister’s vision of making Sikkim an Organic State. Further, he informed that the department has started training for farmers on modern farming techniques with the aim to provide more benefits with less labour. The Department has decided to make Namchi and Gangtok, the main marketing centre and the middle man will be removed entirely from the marketing process, he added.
The next session of the programme witnessed the inaugural function of the two-day training on Vegetable Initiative for Urban Cluster (V.I.U.C) under Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yozna [RKVY]. During this training programme resource persons from the state and Centre will provide the farmers with aims and objectives of V.I.U.C, Package and Practices of Cole Crops, Kharif Vegetables and Tomatoes as well as role of Integrated Pest Management in vegetables.
Nursery bed preparation and seedling raising techniques and familiarization with tools and equipments and practical demonstration will also be provided by the experts to the farmers. This training programme is being held for the 750 farmers of 21 villages from the South District which has been divided into 69 groups.
After the completion of this training programme farmers will also be provided with seeds and manures by the department, as informed by the officials. Later, Minister, Secretary and other officers also made a field visit to Assangthang, Salghari, Alley and Dumigaon where they inspected the construction of water harvesting tanks while Secretary, Vishal Chauhan also visited the departmental green house shed at Chemchey, South Sikkim.