By IANS
Agartala : The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) has taken up a Rs.230 million project for boosting crop productivity in the northeast, officials said Tuesday.
"The new project, National Agricultural Research Project (NARP), would be implemented in one backward district in each of the seven northeastern states," said Mangala Rai, the director general of ICAR.
The project would provide research-based education to farmers, with one Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) set up in each district.
"At least six experts would be available in each KVK to provide necessary guidance to the researchers as well as the farmers," Rai said.
The central government has also sanctioned an additional Rs.2.38 billion for the Imphal-based Central Agricultural University for research work.
Rai said that a scheme called Livelihood Improvement and Empowerment of Rural Poor through Sustainable Farming Systems in northeast India was being implemented in the districts of Upper Subansiri (Arunachal Pradesh), Tamenlong (Manipur), South Garo Hills (Meghalaya), Siaha (Mizoram), Mon (Nagaland), North Sikkim (Sikkim) and Dhalai (Tripura).
The scheme would be implemented in five years time and involve an expenditure of Rs.22.41 million.