ICAR-IARI Assam Promotes Organic Farming for Sustainable Livelihoods at Gogamukh
ICAR-IARI Assam Promotes Organic Farming for Sustainable Livelihoods at Gogamukh
DD TIMES Gogamukh 19 January: Under the visionary leadership of Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao, Director, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), a One Day Awareness-cum-Training and Input Distribution Programme on Organic Farming for Sustainable Livelihoods was successfully organized on 19 January 2026 at the Gogamukh Panchayat Office, Gogamukh, Dhemaji, Assam by ICAR-IARI, Assam.
The programme aimed at empowering farmers with scientific knowledge, practical skills, and essential inputs to promote organic farming as a viable and sustainable livelihood option in the region.
The programme began with an inaugural session in which Dr. Arpan Bhowmik, Senior Scientist, welcomed the participants and explained the background and objectives of the programme.
He highlighted that the idea for organizing the programme emerged from extensive interactions with farmers during the Vikshit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (May-June 2025), where farmers strongly expressed the need for structured awareness and hands-on training on organic farming practices, input management, and market linkages.
Addressing the farmers, Dr. L. K. Baishya, Head, Division of Natural Resource Management (NRM), elaborated on the scope and modalities of organic farming in the North Eastern region.
He emphasized that the region’s agro-climatic conditions are naturally conducive to organic agriculture and that adoption of organic practices can simultaneously ensure environmental sustainability, soil health improvement, and enhanced farm income.
He also stressed the importance of on-farm resource recycling and reduced dependence on chemical inputs. Dr. A. K. Balange, Head, Division of Agricultural Production & Farming Systems (APF) and Campus In-Charge, ICAR-IARI, Assam, highlighted the vast untapped market potential for organic produce from the North East, both at national and international levels.
He encouraged farmers to view organic farming not only as an eco-friendly practice but also as a profitable enterprise when combined with proper production planning, quality assurance, and market orientation.
Following the inaugural session, an intensive scientist-farmer interaction and training session was conducted, covering multiple dimensions of organic farming. Scientists discussed practical issues related to crop protection, disease and pest management under organic systems, use of bio-inputs, mechanization options suitable for smallholders, certification aspects, and effective marketing strategies.
Farmers actively shared their field experiences and challenges, making the session highly interactive and need-based. The programme recorded the participation of 105 farmers from the surrounding areas, reflecting growing interest in organic agriculture.
As part of the input support component, 30 kg packets of vermicompost and 1 kg packets of organic fertilizers were distributed to each participating farmer to encourage immediate adoption of organic practices at the field level.
The programme was further supported by the active involvement of scientists and staff including Dr. P. K. Mishra, Dr. Chethan C. R., Dr. Akshay H. M., Dr. Sunny Arya, and Mr. Dev Plasia, who contributed technical inputs and assisted in the smooth conduct of the event.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Rahul Singh, who appreciated the enthusiastic participation of farmers and reaffirmed ICAR-IARI Assam’s commitment to promoting sustainable, environmentally sound, andincome-generating agricultural practices across the region.
The programme marked an important step toward strengthening organic farming in Dhemaji district and reinforcing the institute’s role in farmer-centric, sustainable agricultural development.
