ITANAGAR, 11 Aug: The Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board (APAMB) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the DK State Convention Centre here on Tuesday, in a move to boost rural livelihood and fortify relations between the farmers and the SSB.

The MoU was signed by APAMB Chief Executive Officer Okit Palling and SSB Inspector General (Tezpur Frontier HQ) Bishwajeet Kr Pal, in the presence of Agri and Allied Minister Gabriel D Wangsu, Agriculture Secretary Samuel Changkija, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Secretary YVVJ Rajasekhar and other high-ranking officers.

This initiative has been launched under 'Mission Arun Himveer', under which locally produced fruits and vegetables are supplied to the ITBP by the farmers without complying with the standard tendering process. Under this partnership, the SSB will procure fruits, vegetables, meat, and poultry directly from local farmers, self-help groups (SHGs), farmer-producer organisations (FPOs), and cooperatives.

Speaking on the occasion, Wangsu described the agreement as a "win-win" partnership for both farmers and the security forces. He said the collaboration would not only provide a dependable market for local farmers but also strengthen the bond between the farming community and the security forces serving in the state.

"We are into serious business of agriculture production in the state," Wangsu said, emphasising the government's focus on increasing agricultural production and establishing reliable market linkages for farmers.

He assured that efforts would be made to ensure that "fresh and quality, including organically produced, farm products reach the SSB units."

Stressing the need for continuity, the minister said the collaboration should be sustained and expanded in the coming years.

Pal stated that purchase of products from villages under the Vibrant Villages Programme is not just commercial activity but a tool to boost revenue of farmers in border areas and strengthen national security. He also stressed on jointly solving the challenges under this initiative to strengthen the long-term supply chain, and suggested undertaking battalion-level coordination meeting among the stakeholders.

He also called on the farmers of the state to participate in tendering process on GeM for large-scale supply of fruits and vegetables under this initiative, "as it will also help in availability of fresh products to SSB."

He also sought to procure indigenous millets from the farmers of Arunachal Pradesh.

Changkija informed about the state government's commitment to boost farmers' income, and said that this initiative acts as catalyst in reverse migration. He also highlighted the easy payment structure for the farmers supplying their produce under this initiative, thereby bypassing standard departmental procedure for making such payments.

Rajasekhar highlighted the potential of Arunachal in providing dairy products, fish and other items to cater to the needs to various SSB units at the highly competitive price offered by the Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, and Veterinary Departments of the state.

Palling highlighted the achievement under Mission Krishi Veer, under which about 900 mt of fruits and vegetables amounting to more than Rs 1 crore have been supplied to the Indian Army since its launch on 19 August, 2022.