Medzhiphema (Nagaland): Union Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja said agriculture and horticulture activities are the backbone of the Northeast India and New Delhi is looking at these activities with a value chain approach.
Manoj Ahuja was at Central Institute of Horticulture at Medzhiphema in Nagaland to review progress of agriculture and horticulture programmes and schemes in Northeast India.
The Centre is looking at the agriculural produce in an integrated manner right from getting good quality seeds to market it, Ahuja said.
“With the collective efforts of all the farmers and the state government, farmers can increase their income and produce in a sustainable manner,” Ahuja, a 1990-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer, said.
The union secretary said India is importing a lot of edible oil, especially palm oil to meet the domestic needs, and said Northeast India is ideally suitable for oil palm cultivation.
Arrangements have been made for nurseries and setting up of factories and it is expected to boost the production of oil palms in Northeast India, Ahuja said.