Arunachal Pradesh has sought stronger support from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to strengthen agriculture and horticulture in the state, including a time-bound agriculture roadmap, a Central Kiwi Research Institute and 10 additional Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs). Addressing ICAR’s 97th annual general meeting in New Delhi, Agriculture and Horticulture Minister Gabriel D Wangsu stressed the need for mountain-specific scientific solutions suited to the state’s challenging terrain and dispersed farming communities. He urged ICAR to expedite the preparation of the state’s agriculture roadmap and ensure that it focuses on practical, measurable outcomes for farmers. Wangsu also renewed the demand for a dedicated Central Kiwi Research Institute, highlighting Arunachal’s contribution of nearly 60 per cent of India’s kiwi production and the crop’s growing importance in the state’s temperate regions. The proposed institute could support research, improved production techniques, processing and market development. The minister further sought approval for 10 additional KVKs in districts currently outside the agricultural extension network. Arunachal presently has 17 KVKs, while proposals for 10 more have been submitted. Expanding the network, Wangsu said, would help bring modern agricultural technologies, scientific practices and research-based solutions to farmers in remote areas.
