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New Delhi : Union Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj & Food Processing Industries Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on September 25, 2020, dedicated to the nation the campus of the new Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Gogamukh, Assam.
Speaking on the occasion,Tomar announced that the IARI, Assam, will be named after Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya. The Minister said that as visualised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the setting up of this Institute will give an impetus to development of agricultural education and research in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim, in addition to Assam.
By the year 2050, the population of the country and the challenge of climate change will increase considerably. The Government is working in the direction that the country’s agricultural sector remains strong to be able to meet these challenges and there are sufficient food reserves at all times.
Appreciating the lead role played by the country’s agricultural scientists in bringing about the Green Revolution by developing several high yielding seed and crop varieties, Tomar said that the country is now not only self-sufficient but also surplus in foodgrains production. The Government has made efforts to plug the gaps in the development process, and as a result new Agricultural Research Institutes have been established in Jharkhand and Assam. Sikkim is now a totally organic state, and other states are also progressing in this direction. Tomar stressed that in view of the challenge of climate change and water scarcity, it is important to undertake crop diversification and develop varieties which require less water to grow. He also emphasised the importance of locally grown crops for enhancing farmers’ income and export opportunities, according to a PIB release.
Chief Minister of Assam Sarbanand Sonowal thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the establishment of IARI, Assam, and expressed hope that the Institute would be able to fulfil its objectives. He emphasised on research activities on locally grown horticultural crops of the region for enhancing farm income of small and marginal farmers through enterprise diversification. He also hoped that the north-eastern states will be again known as “Bowl of Rice” with the support of ICAR-IARI, Assam.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary, Director General, ICAR Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, public representatives, scientists and government officials were present at the inauguration ceremony.
Government of Assam provided land for establishing this Institution at Dirpai Chapori, Gogamukh circle, Dhemaji district of Assam, covering an area of about 585 acres of land. The selected site is located at about 430 km from the state capital Dispur, 45 km from Dhemaji town (District Headquarters), and 100 km from Dibrugarh, the second largest town of Assam.