Shri Thakur Emphasises Farmer Prosperity and ‘New Age Natural Fibres’ Mission. Pictures PIB/BS News Agency.
Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency/PIB, Kolkata, February 21, 2026: Shri Ram Nath Thakur, Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, visited the ICAR–National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering and Technology (ICAR-NINFET), Kolkata, today and held detailed discussions with the scientists and senior officials of the institute on its achievements, ongoing research and future roadmap.
During the review meeting, the Minister took stock of the institute’s contributions in supporting farmers through technological interventions, improved production practices and value addition in natural fibres. He enquired in detail about the number of farmers benefitted so far, the extent of technological outreach, and the measurable increase in farmers’ income as a result of institutional initiatives.
Shri Thakur reiterated that the farmers' prosperity remains a key priority of the Government of India in line with the vision of the Prime Minister to make them self-reliant and economically empowered. He directed the institute to submit a comprehensive report outlining its contributions towards enhancing farmers’ income, strengthening extension mechanisms and ensuring wider dissemination of technologies at the grassroots level.
The Minister was informed about the Government’s focus on promoting “New Age Natural Fibres” such as flax, ramie, sisal and banana fibre. Over the next five years, the institute aims to undertake extensive research and ensure effective transfer of technology to farmers for large-scale adoption.
Under the “One Team, One Task” approach, aligned with the vision of the Union Minister for Agriculture, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, ICAR institutes across the country are working collaboratively at the national level. In this direction, ICAR-NINFET has formulated a comprehensive project on “Production, Processing and Value Addition of New Age Natural Fibres.” The project focuses on increasing production, addressing farmers’ field-level challenges and strengthening processing and value chains.
Another key thrust area discussed during the visit was the “Waste to Wealth” initiative. The Minister reviewed efforts to extract fibre from agricultural residues such as banana pseudo-stems and other plant waste materials, which are otherwise discarded. By converting waste into valuable fibre-based products, the initiative aims to generate additional income streams for farmers and promote sustainable resource utilisation.
Shri Thakur appreciated the efforts of the scientists and encouraged them to intensify research, industry collaboration and farmer outreach so that technological innovations translate into tangible economic benefits for rural communities.
Senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and ICAR were present during the visit.