CM Himanta Biswa Sarma launches Assam Millet Mission

Guwahati (Assam) [India], November 16 (ANI): With an aim to expand and increase millet cultivation across the state, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday launched Assam Millet Mission at a function held at Veterinary College playground, Khanapara in Guwahati.
Along with launching the Millet Mission, Chief Minister Sarma also inaugurated six soil testing and Quality Control Laboratory at Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Udalguri, Golaghat, Karimganj and Darrang and two knowledge centres at Dhemaji and Titabor virtually at the same programme.
Synchronizing with the programme, the state chief also started the process of distributing 126 combined harvesters, 1000 mini trucks, 450 village-level farm machinery banks, 12000 Solar PV Pump Sets, 8500 five HP Diesel Pump sets, 5091 power tillers, seeds 223963 quintals, 1461 multipurpose pulveriser.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma said, "In the annals of agriculture history of the state, it is a historic day. The day which marks the launching of Assam Millet Mission is targeted to raise the nutrition quotient and doubling of farmers' income. The mission will also increase crop productivity and contribute to crop diversification".

The Assam Chief Minister said that the mission has been launched in synergy with the Prime Minister's aim of Atmanirbharta (self-sufficiency). With the launch of the millet mission, the farmers of Assam can diversify their cropping practices and other than conventional crops, they can extend their farming to grow millets.
He also congratulated Agriculture Department for taking the initiative in launching the millet mission which in the beginning will be practised in 25000-hectare cropland.
Subsequently, it will be extended to 50000 hectares of farmland in the state.
He also said that the knowledge centres he inaugurated today will help the farmers of the state to gain knowledge and handholding about millet farming. He informed that in the coming days 96 more knowledge centres will be set up across the state under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for a quantum leap in agriculture production.

Specifying his government's initiatives for the welfare of the farming community, Chief Minister Sarma urged the farmers to take the advantage of Mission Basundhara 2.0 and convert the status of their lands to Patta land.
He also informed that from next year, his government has set the MSP for paddy at Rs. 2040 per quintal.
He, therefore, asked the farmers to sell their paddy to the government. He also said that with the subsidy, the government is helping the local youth to set up mills and other agri infrastructure.

Agriculture Minister Atul Bora while speaking on the occasion gave a brief outline of the schemes of his department for the growth of agriculture.
He thanked the Assam Chief Minister for leading the way in helping the Agriculture department to launch different schemes for the welfare of the farmers and the growth of agricultural production.

Additional Chief Secretary Agriculture Asish Bhutani gave the welcome speech in the programme which was attended by Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Minister for Public Health Engineering Jayanta Malla Baruah, Minister for Tea Tribe Welfare Sanjay Kishan, MLA Dispur Atul Bora, Chairman Assam State Agriculture Marketing Board Manoj Baruah, progressive farmers and host of other dignitaries were present for the event. (ANI)