Kolkata, Feb. 18 -- Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has recognised West Bengal's famed Gobindobhog, Tulaipanji and Kanakchur aromatic rice as food and culture heritage.
She also said the FAO has awarded an internationally valued certificate to the Bengal government for its community initiatives under the 'Matir Srishti' programme, launched in 2020 in the dry western (Paschimanchal) districts of the state.
"Proud to share that the United Nations has recognized our initiative yet again. The Food and Agriculture Organization of UN has awarded an internationally valued certificate to us for our community initiatives in our innovative 'Matir Srishti' programme which we had launched in 2020 in our dry western (Paschimanchal) districts. Now, this creative and multi-departmental concept has received UN recognition of being a worthy community initiative in the category of preservation of natural heritage and bio-diversity," Banerjee wrote on her X handle.
Elaborating on the initiative, she said the state has crafted a unique vision integrating strategies relating to land, irrigation and panchayats.
"The vision has been to make barren, non-arable, dry, mono-crop lands fertile and cultivable for growing multiple crops, including horticulture and vegetable cultivation.
Additional irrigation facilities have been created through ponds and other water sources. Lakhs of livelihood opportunities have been generated and family incomes have increased manifold," she stated.
Sharing the certificates of recognition received from the Director General of the FAO, Banerjee further said that the UN body has also recognised Gobindobhog, Tulaipanji and Kanakchur aromatic rice as part of Bengal's food and cultural heritage.
"UN-FAO recognition of these initiatives is a prestigious honour for globally recognised good work to conserve natural heritage, bio-diversity and food and culture heritage.
We dedicate this recognition to our entire rural community, especially the farmers of Bengal," she wrote.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.