Assam has signed a formal agreement to strengthen seed availability and cooperative-led agriculture, marking a key step toward improving farm productivity and farmer incomes.

What is the development?

The Assam State Cooperative Federation has signed a MoU with the Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited to ensure systematic production, procurement and distribution of high-quality seeds across the State.
With this pact, Assam becomes the 14th State to formally partner with BBSSL.

Why quality seeds matter

• Seeds determine nearly 20–25 % of crop productivity, making them the most critical agricultural input.
• Assam faces a shortfall in certified seed availability, forcing farmers to depend on low-quality or recycled seeds.
• Poor seed quality leads to low yields, higher input costs and income instability for farmers.

Key objectives of the pact

• Ensure affordable access to certified, high-quality seeds for farmers
• Build a cooperative-led seed supply chain, from production to distribution
• Strengthen farmer cooperatives and primary agricultural societies
• Provide technical support, planning and structured distribution mechanisms
• Improve timely availability of seeds across Assam’s diverse agro-climatic regions

Significance for cooperatives and farmers

• Empowers grassroots cooperative institutions instead of private monopolies
• Expands income opportunities for farmers through participation in seed production
• Encourages collective farming and bargaining power, reducing dependence on external markets
• Aligns with India’s broader push for farmer-owned cooperatives and self-reliant agriculture

Exam Hook 

Statement: Cooperative-led production and distribution of certified seeds can enhance agricultural productivity while strengthening farmers’ income security.

Pin-tailed Parrotfinch Sighting in Namdapha

The Pin-tailed Parrotfinch was recorded for the first time in Arunachal Pradesh inside Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve, marking a rare and ecologically significant avian sighting.

About the Pin-tailed Parrotfinch

The Pin-tailed Parrotfinch (Erythrura prasina) is a small, vividly coloured bird known for its green body, blue face and long pointed tail. It belongs to the finch family and is considered rare in India.

• Scientific name: Erythrura prasina
• Family: Estrildidae
• Habitat: Subtropical and tropical forests, especially bamboo-rich areas
• Diet: Seeds, particularly bamboo seeds
• Global distribution: South and Southeast Asia (parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam)

Why this sighting matters

• The bird was observed feeding on bamboo flowers, highlighting the link between bamboo flowering cycles and avian movements.
• This is possibly only the second confirmed record in India, making it highly relevant for biodiversity documentation.
• The sighting underlines the ecological richness of Namdapha, one of India’s most diverse protected areas, spanning tropical to alpine ecosystems.
• Rare bird sightings act as bio-indicators, reflecting healthy forest ecosystems and effective habitat protection.

About Namdapha National Park

• Located in Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh, it is part of the Patkai range.
• It is India’s easternmost tiger reserve, declared as a Tiger Reserve in 1983.
• It has a diverse flora and fauna and lies in the international border between India and Myanmar.
• It is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
• It is located along the Noa-Dihing river and lies in the tropical rainforest region.
• It is only park in the World to have the four Feline species of big cat namely the Tiger (Panthera Tigris), Leopard (Panthera Pardus), Snow Leopard (Panthera Uncia) and Clouded Leopard (Neofelis Nebulosa) and numbers of Lesser cats.
• The region is well-known for its huge Dipterocarp forests, which make up the northwest portion of the Mizoram-Manipur-Kachin rain forest ecoregion.
• With a rise in altitude, the environment shifts from tropical moist woods to montane forests, temperate forests and finally, at higher altitudes, Alpine meadows and year-round snow.

Exam Hook

Q. With reference to the Pin-tailed Parrotfinch, consider the following statements:

1. It primarily inhabits bamboo-rich subtropical forests.
2. It belongs to the finch family Estrildidae.
3. Its recent sighting was reported from Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh.

Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 1 and 3 only

Answer: (c)

One-line wrap:
A rare bird sighting in Namdapha highlights Arunachal Pradesh’s role as a frontier of India’s biodiversity conservation.

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