Assam farmers export agricultural products during lockdown
Assam farmers export agricultural products during lockdown

Assam farmers export agricultural products worth Rs 357 crore during lockdown period: Sarbananda Sonowal

Guwahati, May 19: Assam farmers export agricultural products during the lockdown. While many farmers across the country have faced many difficulties to find out markets to sell their produces vegetables, fruits, food grains during the ongoing nationwide lockdown that imposed to curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), Assam farmers did business worth Rs 357 crore during the lockdown period by exporting agricultural products to various parts of the country.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday said that in parallel to the fight against COVID-19 the state government was emphasizing the resumption of economic activities and the farmers have shown the way in this regard.

Assam farmers export agricultural products during lockdown

“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 vigor,” Sonowal said.

While visiting the Maloibari area in Kamrup (Metro) district the Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday took stock of agricultural activities being carried out by the farmers there.

Assam farmers export agricultural products during lockdown

He also interacted with the farmers engaged in the harvesting of paddy in the agricultural field sand inspected the functioning of paddy reaper machines distributed by the agriculture department to the farmers.

Urging the young generation to take up farming as a means of self-employment, Sonowal said that the agricultural sector holds the key in providing employment opportunities to the state’s youths returning from outside.

The Assam Chief Minister also stressed on the need to capture the markets of the North East region with Assam’s agricultural products along with striving to penetrate the markets of neighboring South East Asian countries.

Assam farmers export agricultural products

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.

He also pitched for ‘Make in Assam’ in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and said that people of the state must extend their wholehearted support to Prime Minister’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.

Assam farmers export agricultural products

Along with speeding up economic activities, the Assam Chief Minister strongly urged the people of the state for maintaining social distancing and other COVID-19 protocols so that the outbreak of the global pandemic can be contained in the state.

Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, Guwahati Development Department Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya, MP Queen Oja, MLA Atul Bora, Rituparna Baruah accompanied the Assam Chief Minister during the visit.