Minister Pijush Hazarika attends 79th Foundation Day of College of Agriculture, AAU in Jorhat

OUR CORRESPONDENT

JORHAT: Minister for Agriculture Pijush Hazarika today attended the 79th Foundation Day celebrations of the College of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Jorhat, as the chief guest.

Addressing the students, the Minister said it was not feasible for the government sector to provide jobs to all agriculture graduates. He urged students not to rely solely on government employment, but to move beyond conventional mindsets and establish themselves as successful farmers and agri-preneurs. He added that young people could earn significantly more through horticulture than through a typical government job.

He further emphasised that genuine growth in the agriculture sector would remain difficult until society dispelled the perception that farming was meant only for the economically disadvantaged.

Highlighting that the Agriculture Department had decided to conduct agricultural workshops at 50 colleges across the State on the directions of Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Hazarika requested the university authorities and faculty members to extend their full cooperation. He said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would soon be signed between the Education Department and the Agriculture Department to ensure the smooth implementation of the initiative.

The Minister also said that the Agriculture Department would distribute five crore high-value fruit saplings across the State and sought the active cooperation of Assam Agricultural University in supporting farmers. He urged students to take the lead in popularising makhana cultivation, saying it could help farmers double their income without the challenges typically associated with traditional crops.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to achieving the Chief Minister’s vision of transforming Assam into a leading agricultural State, Hazarika said the Agriculture Department was rapidly supplying paddy seedlings and horticultural saplings to four recently flood-affected districts.

The event was attended by Assam Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Dr Dipjyoti Rajkhowa, Madhabdev University Vice-Chancellor Arupjyoti Choudhury, MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, MLAs Hitendra Nath Goswami, Rupjyoti Kurmi and Dhiraj Gowala, among other distinguished dignitaries.

Following the event, the Minister inspected the AAU campus to review various ongoing agricultural research and demonstration projects. During his visit, he observed high-yielding paddy cultivation, seed research projects, climate-resilient integrated farming systems, the ‘Amrit Sarovar’ project, integrated paddy-cum-fish farming models and agro-meteorological observatories.

Hazarika underscored the pivotal role of Assam Agricultural University in modernising agriculture, expanding research and making the State’s farming community more productive and self-reliant.

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