While many farmers across the country have faced many difficulties to sell their agricultural products during the ongoing nationwide lockdown, imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, Assam farmers exported their produce worth Rs 357 crore to various parts of the country, said Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday said that in parallel to the fight against Covid-19, the state government was putting emphasis on the resumption of economic activities and the farmers have shown the way in this regard.
“During the lockdown period, the farmers of the state and agri entrepreneurs did business worth Rs 357 crore by exporting their produces agricultural products to different parts of the country. The state has immense potential in the agricultural sector which was highlighted by the lockdown period. Assam can become self resilient and self dependent in agriculture, livestock, fisheries etc and state’s farmers have shown that Assam can achieve its developmental goals by engaging in agriculture and its allied sectors with renewed vigour,” Sarbananda Sonowal said.
While visiting Maloibari area in Kamrup (Metro) district on Tuesday, Sarbananda Sonowal took stock of agricultural activities being carried out by the farmers there.
He also interacted with the farmers engaged in harvesting of paddy in the agricultural fields and inspected the functioning of paddy reaper machines distributed by agriculture department to the farmers.
Urging the young generation to take up farming as a means of self employment, Sarbananda Sonowal said agricultural sector holds the key in providing employment opportunities to the state’s youths returning from outside.
The Assam chief minister also stressed the need to capture the markets of North-East region with Assam’s agricultural products along with striving to penetrate the markets of neighboring South East Asian countries.
Sarbananda Sonowal directed the state agriculture department to provide seeds to the farmers by October every year and said that timely distribution of seeds can help the farmers in increasing their production.
In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, he also pitched for ‘Make in Assam’ and said the people of the state must extend their wholehearted support to PM’s call of local-vocal-global.
“Opting for local products and also becoming vocal for popularizing local products should be practiced during these times for reviving the country’s economy,” Sonowal said.
Along with speeding up economic activities, the Assam chief minister strongly urged the people of state to maintain social distancing and other Covid-19 protocols so that the outbreak of the global pandemic can be contained in the state.