Assam ships off batch of homegrown pumpkins to Dubai amid lockdown

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today flagged off a cargo flight carrying homegrown pumpkins produced by state's farmers to Dubai at the Cargo Terminal of the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport (LGBI) airport in Guwahati.

Lauding the farmers on Twitter, Sonowal said, "It is heartening to see our farmers giving a new lease of life to the agriculture sector and economy. The Covid-19 challenge has given us huge opportunities to explore our strengths. The efforts of Assam's farmers & Govt agencies are opening up new avenues for us in the post-covid world."

Agriculture minister Atul Bora and Transport and Industries minister Chandra Mohan Patowary were also present to witness the flagging off of the Assam pumpkins.

It may be recalled that not too long ago, Sonowal said that the farmers in the state have been able to export ₹ 357 crore worth of agricultural produce "It gives me great hope to know that nearly ₹ 357 crore worth vegetables, fruits etc have been exported from Assam during lockdown period. It is only through agriculture that we have to overcome all challenges and build a Aatma Nirbhar Assam", Sonowal had said in a tweet post on May 19.

The CM's admission came amid reports that ever since lockdown was clamped across the country shutting 1.3 billion Indians closed indoors, the supply chain from farmer-consumer was snapped, causing great distress to cultivators. However, in the second and third phases of the lockdown, the restrictions have been eased to 

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