NEW DELHI, AUG 18:
Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture and Horticulture Minister Gabriel D Wangsu on Tuesday sought stronger scientific and institutional support from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to accelerate the transformation of agriculture and allied sectors in the State.
Addressing the 97th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the ICAR at Pusa, New Delhi, Wangsu placed three key priorities of Arunachal Pradesh before the gathering, emphasising the need for mountain-specific solutions suited to the State’s difficult terrain and dispersed farming communities.
His first priority was expediting the preparation of a comprehensive Agriculture Policy and Roadmap for Arunachal Pradesh. Referring to Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s visit to the State on June 30, 2026, Wangsu recalled the emphasis placed on developing such a roadmap.
The responsibility has subsequently been entrusted to the Director of the ICAR Research Complex for the North Eastern Hill Region (NEH), and Wangsu urged that the exercise be made practical, time-bound and outcome-oriented.
His second priority was the establishment of an ICAR Central Kiwi Research Institute (CKRI) in Arunachal Pradesh. Reiterating the proposal raised at the 96th ICAR AGM, Wangsu highlighted Arunachal’s leading position in kiwi production, accounting for nearly 60 per cent of the country’s output. He said kiwi had emerged as an important high-value horticultural enterprise, particularly in the State’s temperate regions.
Wangsu also sought sanction for 10 additional Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in districts that remain uncovered. He pointed out that Arunachal Pradesh currently has 17 KVKs, while proposals for 10 more have already been submitted to ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI), Guwahati.
Given the State’s vast geographical spread and challenging terrain, Wangsu stressed that agricultural research, technology and extension services must reach farmers at the last mile.
The meeting was attended by Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister and President of the ICAR Society Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Bhagirath Chaudhary, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Prof S P Singh Baghel, agriculture and allied sector ministers from various States, senior ICAR officials, members of the ICAR Society, scientists, researchers and agricultural experts.
Wangsu said Arunachal Pradesh views ICAR as a strategic knowledge partner in building a sustainable, climate-resilient, technology-driven and farmer-centric agricultural economy.
