Agriculture & Rural Development: Rural Connect 2018

BCC&I Rural Connect 2018, 3rd & 4th December, 2018, Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Rajarhat.

A two-day conclave titled 'Rural Connect 2018' was organised in Kolkata to encourage farmers in West Bengal to turn into agro-entrepreneurs from agro-producers. Agriculturists as well as students studying agriculture in various colleges in the state attended the conclave where they were informed how improvements in technology are helping to diversify farming methods.

They also got an opportunity to interact with the World Bank's agro-entrepreneurship specialist Raj Ganguly. Discussions on agriculture, fisheries and agro-entrepreneurship were held on the first day.

Arup Roy, West Bengal's minister heading the Department of Co-operation, and the chief guest on the first day, said that his department, which caters to various needs of the farmers, including loans, has noted that there has been a significant improvement in the farming methods and farmers in West Bengal are growing a large number of crops that were not grown here earlier. He also said that his department gave farm loan worth Rs 5,200 crore last year and this year they plan to give loans worth Rs 8,000 crore to farmers. "We have given money to more than 2,000 farming committees so that they may buy farm machinery," the minister said.

The participants were also told about the state government's initiative to introduce the Farmers Producer Organisations (FPO) that would enable them to form cooperatives and increase their production and marketing strengths and help in eliminating the 'middle man'.

Purnendu Basu, West Bengal minister heading the Department of Technical Education and Skill Development was the chief guest on the second day when discussions on the export opportunities of medicinal plants were held.

National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD ) CGM Subrata Mondal; Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of IFB Agro Limited A.K Banerjee; Chairman and Managing Director of Anmol Feeds Amit Sarogi; Weather expert Sonu Agarwal; Agriculture specialist Partha Dasgupta, were some of the key speakers at the conclave.