Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Launches 'Special Mission' to Boost Millet Production in the State

With an ambition to boost farm production and double the income of the farmers, the Assam government has launched a special initiative termed as Assam Millet Mission.

"Launched Assam Millet Mission, targeted to raise nutrition quotient & doubling farmers’ income. To increase productivity, it will also contribute in crop diversification", Sarma tweeted via his official Twitter handle.

"Distributed power tillers, pump sets, mini trucks, harvesters, crop seeds, financial aids among beneficiaries", he added.

PM Modi-led government has formed a comprehensive strategy to increase the millet export. The scheme is said to be launched in parallel to the initiative of central government to raise the millet export from India across the globe.

While addressing thousands of farmers from different districts of Assam, who had attended the launch event, Sarma said, "It is a significant day in the state's agricultural history. The Assam Millet Mission's official opening day aims to double farmer income and improve nutrition levels. Additionally, the mission will boost agriculture yield and aid in crop diversity".

Millet is a crop with high industrial value and high nutritional value. With these aspects in mind, this new scheme has been adopted to ensure that our farmers can benefit economically from the cultivation of millet, he added.

Under this campaign, the aim is to increase millet farming area to 25,000 hectares in the next seven years.

The event was attended by ministers in Assam government Ranjit Kumar Das, Yogen Mohan, Sanjay Kisan, Bimal Bora, Jayant Mallabarua, MLA of Dispur Constituency Atul Bora, chairman of Assam Seed Corporation Praveen Hazarika, Assam State Agricultural Marketing Council chairman Manoj Baruah, additional chief secretary and commissioner of agricultural production Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, director of agriculture Anantlal Gyani, director of Horticulture and Food Processing Trirang Bharatiya Bora, chief manager of NABARD and other departmental officials.

The Chief Minister also virtually inaugurated 6 soil testing and quality control laboratories and 2 knowledge centers. He also distributed power tillers, pump sets, mini trucks, harvesters, financial assistance and crop seeds among the beneficiaries at the event.

Sarma outlined his government's actions for the welfare of the farming community and asked the farmers to take advantage of Mission Basundhara 2.0 and change the status of their farms to patta land.

He added that his government had set the MSP for paddy at Rs 2040 per quintal starting in the following year.

He further asked the crop producers to grow trees of various sorts, such as sal, agar, etc. around their farmland, which will not only help them commercially but also serve as a delineation of their fields.

He urged them to expand their palm farming operations and to produce an abundance of the crops lemon, bhut jolokia, and joha rice in order to achieve 'atmanirbharta' (economic independence).