Assam's Agriculture and Irrigation departments form strategic alliance to promote multi-crop farming

Ministers Ashok Singhal and Atul Bora attended a joint session at the Janata Bhawan where they deliberated on promoting multi-crop farming

Guwahati: The Agriculture and Irrigation Departments of Assam convened a pivotal joint meeting at the Janata Bhawan in Dispur to strategise the promotion of multi-crop farming in a big way in the northeastern state.

The collaborative session, attended by Agriculture Minister Atul Bora and Irrigation Minister Ashok Singhal, along with high-ranking officials from both departments, emphasized the role of consistent and timely irrigation in propelling the state's agricultural sector forward. Bora informed that the state government has decided to introduce Minimum Support Price (MSP) in mustard production to boost the crop.

“The meeting concluded with a mutual agreement to leverage each other's infrastructure and technology for the implementation of various schemes", said a release. As per this new arrangement, the irrigation department will initiate projects in designated areas based on recommendations from the Department of Agriculture. Likewise, the Department of Agriculture will actively promote multi-crop cultivation among farmers in project-covered areas.

Bora, interacting with the media, informed that the association between the two departments will now be at the ministerial level. “Generally, it is found that farmers depend on nature for irrigation and are reluctant to opt for double and triple cropping. A large part of the land has thus become unutilized. There are many such fallow lands in the state. If we need to increase the agricultural income, we must go for double and triple cropping”, said Bora.

He further said that the Chief Minister of the state wants growth in the agricultural sector for which cropping activity throughout the 12 months in the state is essential.

Bora also recalled that the Chief Minister has also formed an agricultural commission recently. “We have decided that every month we will conduct meetings to be able to reach the grassroots to increase income. With the introduction of MSP, many farmers who had left paddy cultivation have again returned to agriculture. Many entrepreneurs from outside Assam bought crops from our farmers directly. Along with that, the state government also bought crops from farmers at minimum support prices”, Bora said.

When asked by Business North East whether plans are afoot to introduce new plans for irrigation, Bora said that joint surveys will be conducted to discover which cropping will be suitable where. "Both ministries will work together to find which scheme will be applicable in which place - be it minor irrigation or major irrigation projects."

Speaking to the media, Singhal said, "In Assam, the irrigation department has facilitated irrigation facilities across Assam, but farmers by and large have not come forward to avail such facilities. So, in the coming times, we will go together for field visits", he said. “It has been found that even after the availability of irrigation facilities, farmers don’t prefer to do the same cultivation again. Both ministries understood that if we work together the agricultural landscape of Assam will surely improve."

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