Sarbananda Sonowal aims to turn farming into lucrative profession for youth

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday said that the state government is taking measures to promote agriculture as a respectable means of livelihood so that more youths take up farming as a profession. The state's farmers have been deprived of getting the right prices for their products due to the dearth of mechanism to sell their goods at different places of the country and abroad, Sonowal said. The state government is taking steps to improve communication and infrastructural facilities, the Chief Minister said while laying the foundation stone of the Centre for Perishable Cargo (CPC) at the Lokopriyo Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport here.

The cost of the CPC project is estimated at Rs 19.84 crore with Rs 50 lakh being contributed by the state government and rest by the Centre. The CPC with a 1705 sqm area will contain handling facilities for inbound and outbound cargo, cold storage along with other measures to export perishable agricultural goods to different domestic and international airports.

"Once completed, this centre would revolutionize the whole agricultural sector of the state", Sonowal said. Assam's fruits and vegetables are being sold at the markets abroad such as in London and Singapore, and efforts are on to expand the market to Europe, America and South East Asia, he said.

The Central government's UDAN scheme has facilitated both domestic and international Cargo flights and Act East Policy has given new impetus to the business and commercial ties between India and South East Asian countries, the Chief Minister said. Industry and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said the CPC will enable the state's farmers to find newer markets to sell their products at right prices.

(With inputs from agencies.)