GUWAHATI, Nov 29 - As the Northeastern region is distinctively different from the rest of the country, region-specific strategies have to be formulated to bring about parity of development in the agricultural sector, said Agriculture Minister Atul Bora.
He was speaking during the �Meeting with North Eastern states on Agricultural Reforms� organised by the NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Assam Department of Agriculture at the Assam Administrative Staff College here today.
Citing the example of the Green Revolution, Bora said that as the Northeast is uniquely different from the rest of the country any blanket scheme or planning made for the whole nation may not yield the desired results in this part of the country.
He called upon the NITI Aayog to take into consideration the distinctiveness and peculiarity of the NE states while drafting the market reforms policies and liberalisation of the agriculture sector.
Bora added that a little flexibility in the market reform policy may spell magic for the Northeast states in development of agricultural marketing.
Prof Ramesh Chand, Member of NITI Aayog, said that in spite of achieving success on the production and productivity front, farmers� income is not yet encouraging, and therefore, there is a need to overcome different constraints pertaining to marketing.
He also highlighted other major issues relating to agricultural reforms like liberalised contract farming, direct sale by producers to processing industries or exporters or bulk buyers, provision for setting up private markets, single point levy as first point, e-trading, delinking the provisions of compulsory requirement of shop and space for registration of traders and market functionaries, among others.
KK Mittal, Additional Chief Secretary and Agricultural Production Commissioner, in his speech pointed out that Assam is focusing on three important thrust areas of reforms including land leasing, agricultural marketing and forestry in private land. He also spoke on issues relating to the Agriculture Production Management Committee (APMC) Act.
