Addressing the first ever state-wide wet rice cultivation farmers' meet at Electric Veng YMA Hall here, Mr Lal Thanhawla said his government has put a major thrust on agriculture to make the state self-sufficient.
''We cannot expect Mizoram to have big industries. Therefore, agriculture is the government's major thrust area. The government has taken major initiatives to develop irrigation, power, terrace cultivation, cold storage and agriculture market in its ambition to make Mizoram a self-sufficient state,'' he said.
To encourage wet rice cultivators, the chief minister said that power tillers and tractors were distributed to farmers with 75 per cent subsidy.
Emphasising that agriculture is a noble profession, the chief minister said no nation or country can be respected unless it is agriculturally self-sufficient.
''It is shameful that the people of Mizoram, whose forefathers were self-sufficient in rice, have become fully dependent on PDS rice. We have to regain that past glory,'' he added.
Stating that the Mizoram government has launched the new land use policy to do away with the destructive slash-and-burn cultivation and save the ecology, Mr Lal Thanhawla stressed on the responsibility of the beneficiaries for the success of the ambitious project.
Agriculture Minister H Liansailova, who graced the occasion as the guest of honour, said the declaration of 2011 as the year of bumper rice harvest is a great challenge for the farmers. The urged the farmers to help achieve the goal.
Around 532 wet rice cultivators from the eight districts of the gathered at the meet.
--UNI
