ITANAGAR, Aug 11: Aimed at enhancing rural livelihoods and reinforcing relations between the farmers of the State and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board (APAMB), GoAP signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the central armed police force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India, at the DK State Convention Centre here today.
The MoU was signed by Okit Palling, Chief Executive Officer APAMB and Bishwajeet Kr Pal, Inspector General, SSB, Frontier HQ Tezpur, in presence of Agriculture Minister Gabriel D Wangsu, along with GoAP Secretaries Samuel Changkija (Agriculture) and YVVJ Rajasekhar (Fisheries, AHV&DD), and other officers/officials from line departments and SSB.
Launched in the lines of ‘Mission Arun Himveer’, the initiative marks a significant leap in market linkage for local agricultural, horticultural and other produce from the remotest corners of Arunachal Pradesh, thereby providing institutional buyers to the farmers in the State. Under this partnership, SSB will procure fruits, vegetables, meat, and poultry directly from local farmers, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and cooperatives.
Speaking on the occasion, Wangsu described the agreement as a win-win partnership for both farmers and the security forces. He thanked the SSB for the initiative and said the collaboration would not only provide a dependable market for local farmers but also strengthen the bond between the farming community and the security forces serving in the State.
He assured that efforts would be made to ensure that fresh and quality, including organically produced, farm products reach the SSB units. Stressing the need for continuity, the Minister said the collaboration should be sustained and expanded in the coming years.
In his address, Pal stated that purchase of products from villages under Vibrant Village Programme is not just commercial activity but a tool to boost revenue of farmers in border areas and strengthen national security. He also stressed on jointly solving the challenges under this initiative to strengthen the long-term supply chain and suggested to undertake battalion-level coordination meeting among the stakeholders. He also called on the farmers of the State to participate in tendering process on GeM for large-scale supply of Fruits & Vegetables under this initiative as it will also help in availability of fresh products to SSB.
He also sought to procure indigenous millets from the farmers of the State.
Changkija informed the house about the State government’s commitment to boost farmers’ income and this initiative acted as catalyst in reverse migration.
Rajasekhar highlighted the potential of Arunachal Pradesh in providing dairy products, fish and others items to cater to the needs of various SSB Units at a highly competitive price offered by Fisheries, AHV departments of the State.