No Shortage Of Funds for Agriculture, Chouhan Tells Assam CM

New Delhi, Jun 3 (KNN) Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi to review the implementation of agriculture-related central schemes and discuss measures to strengthen the sector in the state.

During the meeting, Chouhan assured that there would be no shortage of funds and resources for agriculture in Assam and reiterated the Centre’s support for maximising benefits under schemes such as the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and the National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).

The Union Minister handed over a draft Agriculture Action Plan prepared for Assam based on the state's climatic and soil conditions. The meeting also reviewed projects approved under agricultural mechanisation programmes and RKVY.

Officials informed the state government about efforts to provide agricultural power weeders to women farmers and discussed the expansion of oil palm cultivation under NMEO-OP. To promote protected cultivation, 1,500 bamboo polyhouses have been approved for the state this year.

The Centre has also approved infrastructure projects including a Pesticide Testing Laboratory and an Edible Oil Testing Laboratory under RKVY.

Partnerships with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority and the National Cooperative Organics Limited are being developed to support marketing and export of Assam’s organic products.

The meeting further discussed strengthening biodiversity-related research in the state. Existing centres of Assam Agricultural University will be upgraded, while new research initiatives on spices and the state flower, Foxtail Orchid, will be undertaken in collaboration with research institutions.

(KNN Bureau)