Ceremonial harvesting of Rice cultivated by SRI at Nagaon

The Nagaon District cell of National Food Security Mission (NFSM) organised a “Harvesting Ceremony” on SRI (System of Rice Intensification) on Boro Rice at Salaguri village near Dhing on the 22nd June, 2010. A SHG of 10 farmers of the locality cultivated the Boro Hybrid variety Arize 6444 by SRI method in 30 bighas of land with technical support and guidance from departmental officers and scientists from KVK. They harvested green crop yield to the tune of 45 md/bigha (13.5t/ha). On this occasion a meeting was organized which was chaired by Sri Rahul Das, Joint Director of Agriculture, Central Zone stationed at Shillongani. Ms. Pramilarani Brahma, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture, Govt. of Assam attended the ceremony as Chief Guest. She also inaugurated ceremonial rice harvesting in participatory farmers’ field by “crop cutting”. Sh Pradip Das, a farmer from Dhing Athgaon Chapori was also awarded “Dhan Samrat” by Arize Company in this ceremony, certificate for which was presented by the Agri. Minister, Ms. Brahma. It may be mentioned that the farmer Mr. Das produced record rice yield of 51 md/bigha (15.3 t/ha) with the hybrid. The ceremony was also attended by Sh H. Borah, ADC, Nagaon, Dr. B.Barman, Chief Scientist and Dr. P.K.Das, Principal Scientist of RARS, Shillongani and Sankar Chakrabarty, District Agril. Officer, Sh. P. Buragohain, Distict Nodal Officer, NFSM as well as other Senior officers of the department. Besides, Agril. Dev. Oficers from different ADO circles of the district also participated. More than 300nos. of farmers and local people attended the ceremony.