Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 24 (ANI): Assam Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika on Monday attended the state-level workshop on "Strengthening Business Opportunities for Agriculture and Allied Products", organised by the Agriculture Department at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati. The workshop focused on strengthening the business potential of Assam's agriculture and allied sectors and making agriculture more profitable and market-oriented for farmers.
Addressing around 250 progressive farmers from different parts of the State, Hazarika said that India is an agriculture-based economy and development of the agriculture sector is crucial for the country's economic growth.
"Around 150 crore people in our country need food. Therefore, we have a huge domestic market for our agricultural produce. We must take advantage of this opportunity and strive towards self-reliance in agriculture," he said.
The Minister emphasised the need to focus on high-value crops that can be cultivated in less land and harvested within a shorter period, while generating higher returns. He urged farmers to continue paddy cultivation while simultaneously adopting double and triple cropping to maximise the productivity and profitability of agricultural land.
Stating that the views and experiences of progressive farmers would be given due importance in preparing the Agriculture Department's roadmap for the next five years, the Minister said that interactions with progressive farmers from different parts of the State would be organised every three months. Their suggestions and field-level experiences would be incorporated into the Department's future strategies wherever appropriate.
Hazarika also highlighted the State Government's objective of developing Assam into a horticulture hub. He said that, along with Rabi crops, greater emphasis would be placed on fruits, litchi and other horticultural crops. Pointing out the strong demand for litchi in international markets, he stressed the need to increase litchi production in the State.
The Minister further announced that makhana cultivation would be promoted in Assam in mission mode. Although Bihar is a major producer of makhana, Assam also has significant potential for its cultivation. He said that makhana could provide farmers with an additional source of income alongside fisheries.
If fisheries can generate around ₹1 lakh per bigha, makhana cultivation could potentially provide an additional income of ₹40,000-₹50,000 per bigha. He also informed that makhana seeds would be provided to farmers from February next year, Hazarika added.
Highlighting the priority being accorded to agriculture and irrigation by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Hazarika said that the State Government has proposed externally aided projects worth around ₹5,000 crore for agriculture and ₹6,000 crore for irrigation, respectively.
On irrigation, the Minister said that around 21 per cent of the State's agricultural land is currently covered by irrigation. Through various projects, the Government aims to increase the irrigated area by an additional 20 per cent over the next five years.
Emphasising the importance of horticulture in increasing farmers' income, Hazarika said that the Government has set a target of distributing around 7 crore fruit saplings among farmers in the next season. Along with coconut and other fruit saplings, special distribution of coconut saplings will begin in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts this year.
During the workshop, 21 progressive farmers from different parts of the State shared their experiences, suggestions, challenges and future plans for the development of the agriculture sector. The Minister assured them that their suggestions would be seriously considered while formulating the future roadmap of the Agriculture Department.
He also interacted directly with progressive farmers, agri-entrepreneurs and exporters, seeking their views on production, quality standards, value addition, market linkages, transportation and exports. He stressed the need to strengthen the entire value chain from production to markets and international trade.
During the programme, he formally launched a compilation booklet of various schemes of the Agriculture Department and the portal of the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm.
Panel discussions were also held on Organic Assam: Potential and Opportunities; Schemes for Development of Agricultural Infrastructure and Quality Standards; Transportation, Sea Freight and Export Promotion; and the commercial potential of honey, spices, quality rice, fruits and vegetables.
Interacting with the participants, Minister Hazarika reiterated that the Government will adopt an integrated approach to increase farmers' income and strengthen Assam's agriculture sector, with focused attention on high-value crops, crop diversification, horticulture, irrigation, market linkages and exports. (ANI)
Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika attends state-level workshop on strengthening business opportunities for agriculture
