JORHAT, Aug 14 - Extension Education Institute (EEI), N-E Region, a regional level institute under the Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, in collaboration with NEADS, a local NGO, has undertaken an initiative to set up a litchi and ber village near the Hollongapar Gibbon Wild Sanctuary under Mariani Revenue Circle of the district.
Dr Sajib Borua, a teacher of EEI, N-E Region, (AAU) told this newspaper that the project has been undertaken to promote agro-eco tourism. He said that apart from enhancing the income of farmers by taking up cultivation of the, the new initiaitve is likely to attract tourists in the areas.
Dr Borua stated that the institute will be distributing saplings of the fruits and providing tranining to the farmers to make the project successful.
On Friday a training programme-cum-sapling distribution was held where above 100 people from the local villages participated, Dr Borua said.Inaugurating the event, the Chief Guest,
Dr PK Pathak, Director of Extension Education, AAU, exhorted the village beneficiaries to undertake the appropriate measures to go for commercial production of the famous seedless litchi and ber (locally known as Thailand Apple Bogori) to earn an extra income.
Dr PK Neog, Director, EEI (NE Region), in his address, in the function, also appealed to the participants to go for a scientific approach that was being imparted to conserve the rich bio-diversity of the locality and thereby attract tourists and harness the tourism potential.
Girin Chetia, Director, NEADS, also encouraged the people of the locality to avail the benefits that were provided by EEI, AAU, Jorhat.
Dr Madhumita C Talukdar Professor and Head, Department of Horticulture, AAU, Jorhat imparted the training on scientific methods of cultivation of the improved species of litchi and ber that were distributed to the farmers.
Dr Seuji Bora Neog, Principal Scientist, AAU, urged the people, to value the rich bio-diversity of flora and fauna that was still remaining in the area and continue to make sincere efforts to conserve it in various ways.
The function was presided by Reba Raj Bora who is the pPresident of the �Community Based Ago-Eco Bio diversity conservation and Eco Tourism Society� which is being facilitated by EEI (NE Region) in its Action Research Project in collaboration with NEADS, Jorhat since last year.
A composite community nursery has been already established in Fesual to benefit the local people and a series of training and awareness programmes to popularize scientific methods of farming in various agricultural and allied areas have been already imparted under the project with the collaborative support of EEI (NE Region) and NEADS, Jorhat.
