Hareswar Bora, Nagaon: As a part of Natural Resources Management & Sustainable Development of rural areas, NABARD has been supporting the implementation of various Projects like Integrated Watershed Dev. Programme with Climate Proofing Interventions (IWDCPIs), Integrated Tribal Dev. Programmes (ITDPs), UPNRM & Climate Change Projects, etc., across the Country. Accordingly, in order to disseminate the benefits of natural farming concepts, the NABARD Assam RO has sanctioned a first of its kind, a unique concept of JIVA in Borbeel tribal cluster at Kathiatoli Block in Nagaon district. In connection with this, an orientation program was organised in presence of selected expert farmers from various villages of the cluster, as well as members of the implementing agency Kalong Kapili and resource support agency WASSAN from Hyderabad on Wednesday last here. Speaking on the occasion, the DDM-NAB ARD, Rajendar Perna informed the participants that being an Apex Development Organisation, NABARD has been formulating & supporting various Projects for sustainable development of rural areas and the agriculture & allied sectors, since its inception. DDM informed that based on the dedication and commitment of the local farmers in the successful implementation of ITDP-TRIBES and Model Millets Project, the Borbeel cluster area has been identified for this JIVA natural farming project. He further highlighted that ‘JIVA’ in Sanskrit means ‘a living being or entity imbued with life force’. Accordingly, this program would pioneer and scale up agro-ecology as a strategic and transformational approach leveraging the pre-existing social and natural capital. He also shared that under this program, in addition to the integrated Aquaculture-Livestock-Nutrition Gardens-Horticulture system, one Bio-Input Resource Centre and Indigenous Seed Banks would also be established in Borbeel TRIBES cluster. The Kalong Kapili Secretary Jyotish Talukdar suggested that along with the integrated approach, innovative combinations of Cereals, Pulses, Oil Seeds and Vegetables shall be undertaken in the fields of each of the identified 40 Champion Farmers. The resource person from WASSAN D K Patra suggested that under the Project there shall be a shift from mono crop with limited varieties to diversified and multi-crop systems which would cover the soil for longer durations, thereby enhancing the soil organic matter in the selected fields. The initial session was followed up with a number of interactive sessions, wherein the participants shared their views, experience and expectations. A program was also organised wherein, the beneficiary of Borbeel TRIBES project, Ranjit Rabha could sell the locally harvested raw turmeric to a nearby trader. The farmers have informed that during the current season, so far they have sold nearly 95 Quintals of raw turmeric and have requested NABARD and Kalong Kapili to support them in branding, processing and marketing their produce, a press note added here.
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