A CORRESPONDENT
BOKAKHAT: In a bid to explore trade relations with and investment opportunities in India, New Zealand diplomat Ashwan Jayawardene visited Kaziranga National Park in search of the region’s famed honey. Accompanying him were Sandeep Saha, Regional Head of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Government of India) for the Northeast, and Dr Chaju Adhikari, Business Development Manager.
The team arrived in Kaziranga with the objective of promoting local beekeeping, offering financial support, and connecting local producers to the global market. On October 17, they held a detailed discussion with Dr Sonali Ghosh, Field Director of Kaziranga National Park, at her Bokakhat office.
Early on Sunday, the delegation participated in a ceremony marking the opening of the Agaratoli forest area of the park for tourists. From there, they visited Japori Pathar village in the Kohora forest range. The village, under the initiative of the Pariparshik Unnayan Samiti (Peripheral Development Committee), has been successfully running beekeeping and marketing activities. At the residence of the committee’s President Suren Saikia, Jayawardene and his team interacted with local beekeepers to understand their challenges in production and marketing. The delegation highly praised the contributions of women from Japori Pathar village in the field of beekeeping.
Later, the team visited the residence of Papumoni Hazarika, a beekeeper from Rajabari, Bokakhat, to observe her honey production process and learn about the problems she faces in the trade. Jayawardene also appreciated the quality of honey produced by Hazarika and her innovative methods.
Afterward, the delegation proceeded to Borjuri, where they visited the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, interacting with its Director Dr Bhaskar Choudhury about conservation efforts. In the evening, the team attended the Kati Bihu ceremonial lamp-lighting programme organized by Bokakhat Samajila at Kamargaon, where Jayawardene held discussions with Agriculture Minister Atul Bora on potential investment opportunities in the agricultural sector.
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