ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI) is a unique institute of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) with a mandate to coordinate and monitor technology application and frontline extension programmes along with strengthening agricultural extension research and knowledge management through the network of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) system in all the districts spread across the country. The ICAR-ATARI Zone-VI, Guwahati, is a transformation of erstwhile Zonal Project Directorate, Umium, Barapani, Meghalaya in 2015. Like all 11 ATARIs of the country, the ATARI Guwahati is also meant for funding, overseeing, reviewing and monitoring the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) in three states of NE Region, viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Sikkim. Operating under Agricultural Extension Division of ICAR, ATARI Guwahati is trying to strengthen each KVK in the difficult terrain and diversified communities along with widely varied activities in different agro-ecological situations, geographical conditions and varied needs of farmers in this region.
The ICAR – ATARI Zone VI, Guwahati started functioning from its own building with the foundation stone laid by Shri Radha Mohan Singh, the then Hon’ble Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on 14th February, 2016 at Kahikuchi, Guwahati located on the National Highway (NH 37) near Guwahati Airport and formally inaugurated by the then Hon’ble Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar on 29th December, 2021.
With the mandate of coordination, reviewing and monitoring, technology application, frontline extension education and knowledge management programmes, the Institute is engaged in technology application research, testing and demonstration of frontier technologies and technology products, dissemination of technology and scaling up, technology integration, entrepreneurship development and capacity building of stakeholders through 47 KVKs under its jurisdiction in three North-Eastern States of India; at present 26 KVKs in Assam, 17 in Arunachal Pradesh and 4 KVKs in Sikkim.
Out of 47 KVKs in ICAR-ATARI Zone VI under different Host Institutes, 23 KVKs are managed by State Agricultural University (SAU), one KVK under Central Agricultural University (CAU), 15 under State Governments, seven under ICAR Institutes and one KVK under NGO.