Role of AAU in enhancing productivity and income of farmers in Assam

Hemchandra Saikia 

(saikia.hemchandra@rediffmail.com)

The Assam Agricultural University Jorhat, which was established in 1969 on April 1 under the Assam Agricultural University Act, 1968, was indeed a landmark step for the greater causes of the desired development of our farming community in the state. All we know and have very well realised is the role of improved location-specific agricultural technology in enhancing the production, productivity, and profit of our agricultural sector, and hence the plight of our farming community on a desirable front.

Every state agricultural university is playing a very crucial role in the entire process of development, testing, and recommendation of suitable improved technology for various locations across its state to bring about a sustainable and desirable change in the productivity and income of the farming sector for the greater interest of all-round economic development and also for the maintenance of food security in particular. This happens in reality when the extension mechanisms of the state agricultural university effectively disseminate its location-specific, suitable technology at the right time among our farming community across the state. In performing and delivering such a critical role in the field of agricultural development for its desirable performance, Assam Agricultural University Jorhat is not an exception rather finds itself devoted continuously and incessantly to the development, testing, demonstration, and dissemination of suitable improved technology through a very process of judicious need-based decision making, its implementation, monitoring, and evaluation so that proven technology is fitted with climate change, market demand, consumer demand, and taste to tap both domestic and international markets, besides augmenting productivity and profit of our agricultural sector as a whole.

When we talk about the effective service delivery system of a state agricultural university to bring about a very desirable and respectable change of a state in its developmental front, then it must have required established suitable infrastructures, sufficient and qualitative human resources, reputed research institutions, and very effective and accessible extension mechanisms. Although human wants are unlimited, Assam Agricultural University Jorhat Assam at present is seen to have a lot to do with all types of critical infrastructures for education, research and research institutions, and extension mechanisms. Today, Assam Agricultural University is comprised of nine colleges for agricultural and allied science across the state and has 700 able and competent faculties associated with more than 3000 students who are the future potential agents of promoting growth in all three pillars of the university, viz., teaching, research, and extension, besides having the potential to provide valuable services to various service sectors of our economy.

In the research front for carrying out its various needs, the university has nine research stations, like AAU-Zonal Research Station Diphu, AAU-Zonal Research Station Shillongoni, AAU-Zonal Research Station North Lakhimpur, AAU-Zonal Research Station Gossaingaon, AAU-Zonal Research Station Karimganj, AAU-Assam Rice Research Institute, Titabar, AAU-Horticultural Research Station Kahikuchi, AAU-Citrus and Plantation Crop Research Station, Tinsukia and AAU-Sugarcane, Medicinal, and Aromatic Plants Research Station, Burhalikson, Dergaon. Besides catering to the needs of livestock and fishery, Sector University has two important research stations, viz., AAU-Goat Research Station, Byrnihat, and AAU-Zonal Livestock Research Station, Mandira. Moreover, as per the available information, more than 150 research projects are in operation in the fields of agriculture and community science to address various needs-based issues in our farming sector.

In the research front, it is known that out of the 118 crop varieties developed by Assam Agricultural University, 60 belong to high-yielding varieties of rice, 7 green gram, 7 black gram, 2 lentil, 8 toria, 2 sesame, 8 sugarcane, 2 jute, 2 forage, and 20 vegetables to effectively fulfil the needs and requirements under different agro-ecological ons. Moreover, two numbers of animal breeds and one number of poultry breeds with desirable traits are also developed and recommended for the betterment of our farming community in the state. Some of the promising rice varieties developed by the university are: Ranjit, Bahadur, Ranjit Sub-1, Bahadur Sub-1, Swarna Sub-1, Numoli, Prafull, Gitesh, Dehangi, Rongkhang, Inglonkiri, Jaymoti, Bishnuprasad, Jyotiprasad, Dinanath, Swarnabh, Kanaklata, Padmapani, Padmanath, Panindra, Jalashree, Jalkunwari, Plaban, Disang, Dikhow, Kolong, Shraboni, Mulagabhoru, Chakra lahi, Diphalu, Dhansiri, and Manah, having a satisfactory level of productivity over their traditional local variety. These high-yielding varieties have separate special characteristics of better performance under different stressed or problematic agro-ecological situations. Some varieties are noticeably suitable for pre-flood situations, some are suitable for post-flood situations, some are suitable for delay plating, and some can tolerate submergence conditions of water for 10–12 days with a better level of productivity. Among these varieties, a variety with cold tolerance is also available, along with a variety for hill situations and a variety for deep-water rice cultivation. Another milestone of Assam Agricultural University Jorhat is the development and release of the purple rice variety Labanya, which has distinct nutritional and medicinal value and can serve the economy and health of our farming community to a great extent, besides its potential to capture a lucrative market for both local and foreign consumers.

Assam Agricultual University has a very vibrant and accessible extension system for the right dissemination, testing, and demonstration of location-specific, suitable technology among farmers across the state. The university has 23 Krishi Vigyan Kendras where farmers can visit at any time and avail of the free-of-cost need-based supportive facilities, including the facility of on-farm testing, demonstration of technology, and training for skill development in the field of improved and enhanced agricultural development. Moreover, the university is providing a very affordable and effective mode of need-based skill education through an open and distant learning platform, which has the potential to develop successful agri-preneurship that can fetch good market demand in the fields of agriculture and allied fields. It is also reported that the North East Agriculture Technology Entrepreneurs Hub (NEATHUB) of AAU Jorhat has already started to provide due incubation support for startups and entrepreneurs, paving the way for right agri-business activities in the entire north-eastern region. It has been able to support 160 entrepreneurs and is ready to support more.

A field-level study revealed that the most popular and dominant high-yielding varieties developed and recommended by Assam Agricultural University are Ranjit, Mashuri, Bahadur, Ranjit Sub-1, Bahadur Sub-1, Aghuni, Keteki Johat, etc., from which farmers are able to increase their productivity and income by 3–4 times in the case of rice cultivation over their traditional age-old local rice varieties due to their higher level of potential yield and good market demand. We have also noticed in several print and electronic media that an increasing number of farmers, farmwomen, or rural youth are able to establish themselves as very successful agri-preneurs through the skill development training of the university in the fields of mushroom cultivation, vermicompost production, apiary, fishery, production of certified seed, high-yielding varieties of paddy, etc. in the state and are able to lead a very encouraging way of life in their society, besides attracting rural youth towards productive and profitable agriculture. Thus, this sort of positive impact of a state agricultural university is always a matter of pride and a ray of attainable goals in the field of agriculture for its sustainable development. Of course, taking the right action at the right time and place is crucial on the part of all concerned.

The continuous and effective goal-oriented interventions of Assam Agricultural University have proven potential to serve our farming community in a better and more desirable way with the certainty of enhanced production, productivity, and profit for our farming community, where issues like sustainability, food security, climate change, and change in market demand receive due importance. It is pertinent to mention here that the university received the prestigious “Sardar Patel Outstanding Institution Award, 2014” for its remarkable performance and is ranked 19th by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), 2023, from its earlier position of 41st rank, which is really a matter of pride for the state.

The fruits of the intervention of Assam Agricultural University are always reflected in terms of production, productivity, profit, or income in agricultural and allied fields of activities that need sustainability. Hence, regular, effective, and profitable intervention from resource institutions like Assam Agricultural University has the potential to lead the state and farming community to a desirable and optimum height of growth and development in the fields of agriculture and allied fields, besides effectively guiding our government in this direction. I hope Assam Agricultural University will lead the farming community and agriculture in the state in the right direction.