Indian Economy is agriculture centric and
so is true for NE Region including Assam. The country has made a significant
progress in agriculture & allied sectors during the last six decades which
can be well perceived with the record production of 284.85 million tonnes of
food grain (2018-19) as against 50 Mt during 1950-51. Similar progress has also
been made in horticultural sector (314.67 mt) and live stock sectors.
N.E.
Region in general and Assam in particular is rich in Bio-diversity. The state
is bestowed with abundant rain (> 2500mm), favourable climatic regimes,
fertile soil, less chemo-centric agricultural practices and about 70 % of total
work force engage in agriculture. The state is well identified for promotion of
organic farming and as an area for bringing 2nd green revolution
through inclusive agricultural growth with proper technology infusion and also
leveraging the sustainable use of rich natural resources by inculcating the
required motivation among the farmers, educated youths, revamping the extension
machineries of the state, also creating
required infrastructure and provisioning human resources equipped with
scientific knowledge & skilled and building adequate capacity to face the
existing as well as perceivable challenges in future. By and large, the region
is characterized by fragility, inaccessibility and marginality. Floods, soil
erosion, landslides etc. are common to the region causing huge loss to the
agriculture and economy due to its undulating topography, geo-physical settings
with faulty land use systems. The farmers of the region are mostly small and
marginal with small land holdings, low investment and low risk bearing
capacity. Over 75% of
the people of the region are directly dependent on agriculture for their
livelihood, food and nutritional security. Therefore, improvement of
agriculture has a direct and significant effect on the economy of the people of
the region.
Richness
in gene pool of different crops/ live stock/ fishes etc also need to be
explored with modern biotechnological tools etc. for development of high yielding
variety/breeds capable to tolerate different biotic & abiotic stresses.
This definitely requires provisioning of competent manpower in agriculture
& allied sectors. Opportunities exist for 3-4 fold increase in productivity
of crops, livestock as well as in fishery sector.
Agricultural
sector has tremendous potential for creating enough employment opportunity and
income through creation of value chain for farm commodity right from production
to consumption level. Presently, less than 20 % of our youths take part in
agricultural activities. Mostly, the youths migrate to the urban areas in
search of job. We have to make agriculture profitable and income from this
sector needs to be enhanced to attract our youths towards farming. Technology
led agriculture coupled with appropriate policies may play an important role in
achieving the targets. The development of appropriate skills and inculcating
the needed knowledge through massive capacity building programme may usher
innovative ideas and confidence among the youths who will invariably have the
leadership and entrepreneurship development ability.
The
agriculture in Assam is still subsistence. There is urgent need to put
concretive effort for bringing the required change in agriculture from
subsistence form to economically viable enterprises infusing the needed
economic activities from production to ultimate user level. This in fact will
be possible with proper technology backstopping by creating appropriate human
resource equipped with scientific knowledge and skills also building confidence
and mindset enabling them to job provider instead of conventional job seeker.
Technology
infusion vis-a-vis skill development to the stakeholders including the end user
is of much importance in order to bring the needed agricultural growth.
Revamping the extension functionaries of the university and the state through
refresher course, exposure visits, promotion of much needed ICT tools,
emphasizing on the availability of technology at easy reach of the end users, formation
of agricultural disaster management squad, real time weather forecasting and
providing timely agro-advisories/market informations, timely input provisioning
are some of the prioritized activity for transforming much needed agricultural
scenario.
We need to a massive growth of strong service
sector in rural areas. Agribusiness and agri-clinics are required in a big
scale. There are tremendous opportunities for economic activities in production
and distribution of seeds/planting material, production, organic manure,
biofertilizers, post harvest processing, value addition, farm mechanization,
secondary and speciality agriculture etc. The region is acutely deficit in
various livestock and fishery products. A concertive effort involving multi
stakeholders blending with appropriate policies can transform all these
potentials to reality
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