Imphal: Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Wednesday that agriculture should be turned into a viable occupation across the country to boost the economy.

Speaking at the valedictory function of the state-level workshop on Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture for Doubling of Farmers' Income here, Naidu stressed on the need to practise agriculture to ensure check on global warming.

Stating the Northeast was gifted with good rainfall and vast waterbodies, Naidu said the region should focus on pisciculture and aquaculture for economic development.

He spoke about boosting farmers' income by largescale production of indigenous items like scented black rice ( chakhao), king chilli, ginger, turmeric, orange and pineapple, which are suitable for the soil of Manipur. In order to work towards this end, the state government needs to put in effort with assistance from central agricultural institutes, he added.

"Development bears no meaning if it does not reach to each and every citizen," Naidu said and added that enhancement of connectivity is a must to ensure development in interior areas.

Instead of discussing issues, reasons and problems, one should focus on finding solutions, he said while adding that researchers should come up with ideas on training farmers and stakeholders, developing marketing and export strategies, establishment of value-addition facilities and packaging. The state government needs to focus more on implementation to increase farmers' income, the Vice-President said.

He said Manipur was rich in different fields and people should learn to tap dividends from its potential.

He said Manipur sportspersons Mary Kom, Sanjita Chanu and Mirabai Chanu had done the whole country proud by their performance in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and the Centre had decided to set up the sole sports university in Manipur because of its talents.

He said every citizen should think India as one nation forgetting differences of community, religion, region and language.

Governor Najma Heptulla, chief minister N. Biren Singh, deputy chief minister Yumnam Joykumar Singh, forest and environment minister Th. Shyamkumar and Central Agricultural University vice-chancellor M. Premjit, among others, were present.

The workshop had two technical sessions.

Earlier, an IAF plane car rying the Vice-President landed at Imphal airport at 1.50pm.