'To conduct these courses, audiovisual methods and other conventional systems would be used to reach and cover all stakeholders,' said Hansra.

Samanta said: 'Sharing and access to knowledge and training about new technologies, prices of inputs and outputs, distribution channels, weather, water, power and livestock management, quantity and quality of natural resources, credit, insurance, marketability, basic improved resources to the masses by the education and extension system are crucial to enhance the income of farmers and make the sector a source of prosperity.'

Maharashtra's Yashwantrao Chavan Open University's school of agricultural sciences director Surya Gunjal said: 'Exploitation of huge untapped land and vegetation of northeastern India is essential for the economic prosperity of the backward region.'

ICRTA now has seven areas of focus:

* Development of distance education and extension models and tools;

* Development of information and communication system for agriculture management systems;

* Development of resource materials for training in distance education through printed materials, video, audio and computer mediated programmes;

* Capacity building and competencies upgradation of various stakeholders in agriculture sector;

* Conduct of vocational training and non-formal education programmes on various aspects of agriculture;

* Implementation of school of agriculture programmes in northeast region; and

* Action research on agriculture education and extension.

ICRTA's regional director Kiran Sankar Chakraborty said: 'A six-month course on leather goods was undertaken by this regional centre for the northeast earlier. As it was so successful, the course is now being carried out in other parts of the country.'

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)