Guwahati, June 25: Assam agriculture minister Pijush Hazarika on Thursday advocated for a strategic shift from traditional paddy cultivation, which offers low profit margins, toward high-value horticulture, urging a concentrated focus on lucrative cash crops like areca nut, litchi and black pepper to exponentially drive up rural incomes.
With nearly 75 lakh people in Assam dependent on farming, the minister also stressed the critical need to expand the state’s current irrigation coverage, which stands at just 24 percent of agricultural land.
Calling for a decisive roadmap for rural economic growth, Hazarika further emphasised that the state must scale up production to achieve complete self-sufficiency in items such as eggs, fish, poultry and pork, thereby eliminating reliance on other states.
Chairing an interface meeting organised by the Assam Agricultural University (AAU) and the department of agriculture here on Thursday, delivered a clarion call to action, noting that while India exports billions of dollars in agricultural products such as tea, meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, the state’s contribution remains minimal and must be urgently rectified.
He highlighted the national economic drain caused by importing pulses and edible oils, emphasising that Assam must scale up production to achieve complete self-sufficiency and eliminate reliance on other states.
The first-of-its-kind multi-stakeholder conclave brought together academicians, agriculture scientists, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), financial institutions like NABARD, and key allied departments like fisheries, irrigation, veterinary and animal husbandry, horticulture, sericulture etc, to forge a collaborative approach to modernising the state’s farm sector.
Directing his mandate to the academic community, the minister called upon the experts and researchers of AAU to utilise this collaborative platform to guide the department in selecting region-specific crops and developing climate-resilient seeds and saplings.
He concluded by stating that the interface must serve as a dynamic bridge connecting scientific research directly to the fields, transforming Assam’s agricultural landscape from basic subsistence to a highly profitable commercial enterprise.
