Umiam, April 19 (PTI): There was a need to change the mindset of farmers in the north eastern region to grow more cash and commercial crops, Assam governor Lt Gen (retd) Ajai Singh has said.

Inaugurating the second horticulture congress here, 25 km from Shillong yesterday, Singh said the farmers in the region were still depending on subsistence farming, although there was a lot of potential in horticulture and floriculture.

Describing himself as a farmer, the governor said he would always encourage the development of agriculture in the country and suggested that the north east should encourage cultivation of strawberry, litchis and rubber to enable the farmers to improve their economic condition.

Singh said the north east with immense potential in horticulture should emulate Israel which produces fruits and vegetables despite having barren land.

The four-day long congress was organised by the horticulture society of India in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)'s north eastern hill region.

Earlier, society president K L Chadha termed the north east as the horticulture bowl of the country whose potential was yet to be fully harvested.

S M Desalphine, additional secretary of the union agriculture ministry said horticulture mission for the north east had helped in developing horticulture products.