Farmers’ Welfare Takes Center Stage: MP Bishnu Pada Ray Leads Key Meeting with Agriculture & ICAR-CIARI Officials

Tarun Karthick

Sri Vijaya Puram, 16 January 2025

A crucial meeting was convened on January 15, 2025, at the Conference Hall of the Directorate of Agriculture, where Hon’ble MP for the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, joined officials from the Directorate of Agriculture, A&N Administration, and the ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (CIARI). The meeting was centered on safeguarding the interests of farmers and discussing various pressing issues impacting agricultural activities in the region.

The key points of discussion included:

1. Implementation and Status of Agriculture Schemes: A comprehensive review of all ongoing agricultural schemes was conducted, focusing on both physical and financial progress.
2. Combatting Crop Pests: Preventive measures to tackle the outbreaks of Mealybug and Rugose Spiralling Whitefly, which have been affecting several crops, were deliberated.
3. Land Erosion and Alternative Land Solutions: The meeting examined the efforts by the administration to allocate alternative land to farmers whose plots were eroded into nallahs due to land arson incidents.
4. Bank Erosion Provisions: Provisions allocated under the bank erosion head were discussed to address the challenges faced by farmers in flood-prone areas.
5. Subsidized Fertilizer Supply: Plans to ensure the supply of DAP and Urea fertilisers to farmers at subsidised rates were reviewed, alongside exploring alternative approaches.
6. Irrigation Infrastructure: The progress made in creating irrigation facilities and future action plans for enhancing water availability for farming was discussed.
7. Quarantine Measures: Steps to prevent the spread of viruses from imported plantations to existing crops in the Andamans were prioritised.
8. Promotion of Spice and Plantation Cultivation: Encouraging spice cultivation and other types of plantations to boost agricultural productivity was a key focus.
9. Preservation of Indigenous Fruit Trees: The preservation of local fruit-bearing trees in areas such as Campbell Bay, Teressa, Chowra, Car Nicobar, Little Andaman, Swaraj/Shaheed Dweep, North & Middle Andaman etc., including efforts to propagate indigenous banana and other fruit varieties, was emphasised.
10. Farmer Awareness Programs: Plans to organize demonstration programs at the Panchayat level to educate farmers about Mealybug and Rugose Spiralling Whitefly, along with guidance from the Agriculture Department, were discussed.