Assam: Israel’s expertise expected to boost state’s horticulture sector

A Correspondent

Sonapur: In a bid to modernize Assam's agriculture sector, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma today inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Vegetables at Khetri in Kamrup (Metro) district under the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project. Israel's advanced agricultural expertise is expected to boost state's horticulture sector.

The state-of-the-art facility, spread across 66 bighas, includes a 1,200 sq. m fan-pad greenhouse equipped with climate and humidity control systems, soil-less cultivation technology and a boom irrigation mechanism capable of producing 4.5 lakh high-value vegetable seedlings per production cycle.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said the inauguration marked a significant day for the state's agriculture sector. He noted that the centre reflects the strength of Indo-Israel cooperation by bringing together Israel's advanced agricultural expertise and Assam's fertile landscape and hardworking farmers.

The CM said that executing the project involved considerable challenges, as transforming 66 bighas into a world-class facility demanded substantial resources, coordination and a clear vision. The Government of India had sanctioned Rs. 5.84 crore for the project in 2020-21, while APART provided an additional Rs. 60 lakh for land development and related works. The centre, built with Israeli technology and central assistance, is also equipped with modern and innovative irrigation systems. He added that the facility will offer continuous training programmes for agricultural scientists and progressive farmers, which will help accelerate growth in the state's horticulture sector.

The Chief Minister urged young people to take advantage of the training opportunities available at the centre. He informed that the facility has already produced over 7 lakh seedlings of crops such as papaya, tomato, marigold, coloured capsicum, lettuce and broccoli, which have been distributed free of cost across nine districts, greatly benefiting farmers. He added that farmers visiting the centre will be exposed to new irrigation practices and modern field techniques that can be adopted in their own farms.

He said more than 600 farmers have already been trained at the centre and added that the agriculturally progressive Dimoria-Sonapur region stands to gain significantly from the technologies available at the Centre.

The Chief Minister reiterated the state government's focus on agriculture and the steps taken to ensure farmers receive fair prices for their produce. Stressing the importance of horticulture, he said farmers would witness substantial financial gains by giving equal emphasis to horticultural crops alongside paddy and mustard.

Dr. Sarma thanked the Ambassador of Israel, Reuven Azar, for attending the programme and said India and Israel share a special and deep-rooted friendship, further strengthened under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said Assam will benefit in multiple ways from strengthened bilateral cooperation.

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