The Nagaland government hasdecided to converge activities of the agriculture and allied sectors to improve the economy of the state, which has deteriorated as a result of the COVID-19 triggered lockdown, a minister said on Wednesday.The functioning of the departments of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, veterinary, dairy development and fisheries lack cohesion, and the state government is trying to make them work unitedly, official sources said.The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Agriculture and Cooperation Minister G Kaito Aye told PTI."More than 70 per cent of the state's population is agrarian. The meeting has decided to come out with proper convergence policies and programme of the agri and allied departments, so that the focus will be on improving the overall productivity of the state," he said.Nagaland is a resource crunch state with over 92% of its budgetary allocation comes as funding from the central government."Nagaland is dependent on other states for supply of essential commodities, but now we are facing the challenge of COVID-19 pandemic. The state can be self-sufficient in food products with focused activity," he said.
