Assam Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika on Wednesday held a special review meeting with the Commissioner of Agriculture, Director of Agriculture and senior officials of the Agriculture Department at his office at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati.
During the meeting, the Minister reviewed the progress of the Makhana Mission in Assam. The Department has set a target of bringing around 20,000 bighas of land under makhana cultivation during the current year. As part of the initiative, suitable areas are being identified, while distribution of makhana seeds and training of farmers will be undertaken.
The Minister directed the Department to further intensify these activities and ensure that more farmers are provided with makhana seeds in the coming months.
The Minister also reviewed the progress of fruit sapling distribution and various ongoing initiatives for the promotion of horticulture and creation of additional income opportunities for farmers.
The progress of the National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) was also discussed in detail. Taking note of the progress made so far, Minister Hazarika directed all stakeholders associated with the mission to expedite their activities and focus on expanding oil palm cultivation across the State. He stressed the need for coordinated efforts to accelerate plantation activities and achieve the targets set under the mission. It may be mentioned that Assam recorded 99.5 per cent achievement ofnthe target in oil palm plantation during the previous month.
The Minister also reviewed the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) performance of the Agriculture Department and discussed the sector’s future growth prospects, with emphasis on strengthening the contribution of agriculture to the overall economic growth of Assam.
Speaking during the meeting, Minister Hazarika emphasised the importance of agricultural diversification and promotion of high-value crops to create better and sustainable income opportunities for farmers. He directed the officials to continue working towards expanding new and remunerative avenues in agriculture while ensuring effective implementation of ongoing schemes and missions.
The Minister reiterated that the development of the agriculture sector and enhancement of farmers’ income remain among the foremost priorities of the Government, and assured that concerted efforts would continue to strengthen Assam’s agricultural economy and improve the livelihood opportunities of farmers across the State.
