ANMA Integrated Development Association (AIDA)-Don Bosco, implementing SBI Gram Seva programme in Dimapur handed farm mechanisation equipment to farmers’ club of four adopted villages of Urra, Khriezephe, Bade and Diezephe on Monday.
A press release from AIDA informed that while flagging off the equipment, chief guest, deputy commissioner (DC) Dimapur, Rajesh Soundarajan stressed on the importance of farm mechanisation which help to improve agricultural yield and economic growth among farmers and reduce the need for manpower.
He lauded AIDA’s intervention in the field of socio-economic and livelihood intervention in the region.
Meanwhile, guest of honour, SBI AGM RBO Dimapur, Abinash Hembrom spoke on the importance of SBI foundation and explained that SBI also initiated programmes and activities to reach out to people in general.
He added that Nagaland was “lucky” to have SBI Gram Seva programme, a SBI foundation flagship CSR implemented by AIDA-Don Bosco.
Executive director AIDA, Rev. Fr. Roy George SDB while welcoming the guests said that India was one of the top countries with respect to agricultural production, but it was behind the world average in terms of farm mechanization.
He said in the first place, the marginal farmers believe that higher technology was complex and secondly, the higher cost of equipment required farmers to invest an amount that they could not afford.
It is in this context that the intervention of AIDA through SBI Gram Seva programme enabled four of its farmers clubs from the adopted villages to have the equipment, he informed.
A request was also presented to the DC from all the adopted villages for scaling up of kitchen garden, mushroom cultivation, cuniculture and poultry development under MNREGA and for SBI Sanjeevani health facility offered to rural villages in and around Dimapur.
At the programme, Rector of Don Bosco Dimapur, Rev. Fr. Nebu Mathew SDB said the invocation and blessed the equipment while a video presentation of intervention of SBI Gram Seva in five adopted villages was also presented.
Later, coordinator of AIDA for SBI Gram Seva, Mark Lanthou proposed the vote of thanks.
The farm mechanisation equipment included power tillers, tiller trolleys, grass cutters and lawn movers. It may be mentioned that farmers club are formed in each of the village who would take ownership of the farm equipment.
The farmer clubs put in their share of investment towards the purchase of the machines and under the responsibility and ownership of the farmers’ club, the machines would be rented out to other farmers in need to generate revenue and aid in better agricultural production.
4 adopted villages receive farming tools
