Fish and milk production up in Assam: Union minister Radha Mohan Singh

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 17: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Radha Mohan Singh has said that the goal of the Central Government to double the farmers’ income will be achieved and overall prosperity will be realized in Assam. He said that both fish and milk productions have increased in the State.

The Union minister said this after reviewing the development of Agri-Horticulture sector in Assam at a meeting at Administrative Staff College, Guwahati on Tuesday.

The minister said that the Central Government is committed to accelerate cooperative development in Assam through National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). In the past four years, the corporation sanctioned a total of Rs. 55.46 crore for the state out of which Rs. 11.06 crore has already been released, the minister said. In comparison, during the previous four years from 2010-2011 to 2013-14, only Rs 0.90 crore were sanctioned and of them Rs. 0.20 crore were disbursed to the State, the minister added.

The minister said at the meeting that the production of fish and fish seeds in the State has increased by 10.06 per cent and 43.79 per cent respectively in the last two years. Compared to 5,76,000 tonnes production of fish in 2014-2016, the State has produced 6,34,000 tonnes of fish in 2016-2018. In case of fish seed production, the State has produced 14,738 million fry in 2016-2018 which is 43.79 per cent higher than the previous two years, he said. The minister was also informed that the production of milk also increased by 3.6 per cent in 2016-2018 when compared to previous two years.

On Agri- Horticulture, the minister said that all the funds which have been released should be utilized properly on time. He also emphasized the need for publicity of schemes and to take their reach to the farmers.

The Union Minister said that the goal of the Central government to double the farmers’ income will be achieved and overall prosperity will be realized in the State. Supplementing the Central Government’s efforts, the State Government has come up with an integrated cooperative development project for the whole State, he said. The project cost is of about Rs. 6,000 crore, under which all the potential sectors such as agriculture, organic farming, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, storage and cold storage, processing of agricultural products etc are to be included, Singh added.

State Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, Aditional Chief Secretary VS Bhaskar, and others were present at the meeting.