Correspondent
Agricultural Engineering graduates Association of Nagaland (AGEGAN) held its 3rd biennial general conference-cum-felicitation at LCS building, Midland, here on Tuesday.
With the state’s economy highly dependent on agricultural production and with drought conditions, chief engineer, Water Resources department, Hotovi Ayemi stated that the department had implemented reliable water source infrastructures for assured irrigations.
He informed that other agricultural developmental works were underway and that the department was focusing on protection of valuable land and other assets of the state from soil erosion through adoption of suitable anti-erosion control works.
Hotovi encouraged all graduates to strive hard for a job, be it in the government or private sector and that hard work and perseverance was the key. He reminded the gathering that though the world suffered from food shortage and water crisis, they played a vital role in the management, conservation and equitable distribution of the scarce commodity such as water and would require to come out with a concrete plan.
Hotovi said that they were responsible to play proactive role in maintaining equilibrium for human sustainability. Delivering the presidential address, Nentilo Woch highlighted that the level of mechanisation in the state was very low due to which productivity was also low.
In this regard, he suggested boosting up the production and use of tools with the help of using power tillers and power operated threshers.
Nentilo cited the recent article on February 9 in the Hindu newspaper where DG ICAR asked for a separate directorate of agri engineering unit at block level if not district level in order to boost mechanisation.
Referring to Nagaland in this, he stated that though the state had organic products, they were perishable products and therefore without cold storage or post-harvest value addition machinery, they lost value and rotted. He also highlighted that during their tenure 2020, the District Planning and Development Board (DPDB) recommended the union to the state government and held a meeting with HoDs of horticulture and agriculture departments where the responses were positive.
Student representatives from CTAN, AU Silchar, SET, SHUATS, and NERIST were also present in the conference.
Earlier, the conference was chaired by Anelu Puro, general secretary report was delivered by Jasmine Pielie, statistical report by Hitokali H Jimo, finance report by Visakunu Tetso and vote of thanks was prposed by Sorenthung N Humstoe.