GUWAHATI, April 17 � The government is mulling setting up a Farmers� Development Corporation and earmarking an allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for taking up various farmer-oriented schemes. This was revealed by Chief Minister during an interactive programme with 100 farmers from various parts of the State at his official residence here today, stated an official press release.
Gogoi told the farmers that the State government has all along been laying emphasis on the farming sector and has taken up a slew of schemes aimed at enhancing farmers� income. �Ours is an agrarian economy and the development of the State hinges on agriculture and allied sectors. That is why our government has accorded top priority to the agriculture sector and has taken up a slew of schemes towards this end,� he said.
Declaring 2015 as the �Year of Agriculture�, the Chief Minister said the government has put emphasis on farm mechanisation and the farmers have to adopt modern farming practices to boost their production and thus augment their income.
Gogoi said the government would provide assistance to farmers who have done exceedingly well in their respective fields and asked the Agriculture Department to draw a list of 100 selected farmers.
Speaking on the occasion, Agriculture Minister Rakibul Hussain said the thrust of his department is to shift from single to multiple cropping in a year to augment the income of the farmers. Hussain said his department has already initiated the process for timely distribution of potato seeds from October this year.
