Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday inaugurated a 5,000 metric-tonne-capacity cold-storage facility at Chaygaon and a fruit-processing centre at the food-processing park at Satabari under Kamrup district. Speaking at a public meeting correlating held at the Chaygaon College playground, Dr. Sarma appealed to the youths of the state to focus on processing and packaging of agriculture produces and items.

The cold-storage facility has been constructed by the Assam State Agricultural Marketing Board (ASAMB) at a cost of Rs. 24.75 crore.

The “chiller” and “freezer” rooms of this facility, that is likely to benefit farmers of Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup, Goalpara, Nalbari and Barpeta districts, has storage capacity of 550 metric-tonne and 575 metric-tonne respectively. While the “chiller” rooms would be meant for storage of agricultural items such as potatoes, fruits and other vegetables, the “freezer” room would be of use in storage of milk and milk-produces.

The fruit-processing unit, on the other hand, has been built at a cost of Rs. 2.89 crores. It is worth mentioning that that this fruit-processing unit is the first of its kind in the state.

Stating that the State’s produces such as ginger, pepper, lemon, joha rice had had great demands in the national and international market, the CM said the farmers of these items shall be able to reap remunerative values for their produces only if their produces are further processed and packaged, which will add to their value-addition. This, he said, would have a huge positive impact on the ongoing process of strengthening of the State’s economy.

Owing to the State government’s initiatives, there have been annual export of horticulture produce to the tune of Rs 200 crores in the past couple of years, the Chief Minister exuded confidence in days to come, this figure can easily cross Rs. 1,000-crore mark.

He appealed to the Department of Agriculture to take necessary measures in this regard. Stating that the State’s economy is still highly dependent on agriculture, Sarma spoke about the initiatives of the State government towards modernization in the agricultural sector, expanding the market for agricultural produce and attracting the youths towards the sector, among others.

He also mentioned the initiatives for rice-mills at 220 places and paddy-storage facilities at 110 places of the State. The entrepreneurs and industrialists have been able to garner as much as 50 percent subsidies on these rice mills and paddy storage units, he added.

Dr. Sarma also appealed to the people of the State to come forward and get involved in the agarwood, teak-wood cultivation, etc, and move towards the path of self-reliance and economic independence.

The Chief Minister also touched upon a number of novel initiatives of the government of Assam. He said the government shall, from this time, ensure Minimum Support Price for rice would be raised to at least Rs. 2,006.

Similarly, 9 lakhs new beneficiaries will be added to Arunoday scheme from next month, the Chief Minister added. The Chief Minister further added that from coming January, around 52 lakh of the State’s population would be provided ration cards, he said this group of people would be entitled to free health coverage worth Rs. 5 lakhs per year. He further added that from next year, construction of 25 new colleges would also be taken up.

The programmes were also attended by Cabinet Ministers Chandramohan Patowary, Atul Bora, Member of Parliament Queen Ojha, Members of Legislative Assembly Rekibuddin Ahmed, HemangaThakuria, Suma Haripriya, Nandita Das, Chief of RabhaHajong Autonomous Council TankesarRabha, Kamrup Deputy Commissioner KirtiJalli, among others.

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