JORHAT, Nov 16 � Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi inaugurated a mega agricultural hub (V-type nursery) at the Assam Agricultural University (AAU) campus here today, which is expected to produce about 16 lakh quality saplings of various horticulture plants annually for fulfilling the demands of the State�s farmers.
Applauding the efforts of Vice Chancellor Dr KM Bujarbaruah for establishing such a mega-nursery, the Chief Minister said that this kind of initiative will enrich the State�s agricultural sector in a very big way.
The popular V-type model of nurseries adopted by foreign countries like Italy and Switzerland and many others has been followed by the AAU to meet the increasing demands for local varieties of vegetables like tomato, chilli, cabbage, cauliflower, brinjal, strawberries, lemons and many others, including flowers.
It may be mentioned that the State Agriculture Department had to depend on many suppliers from New Delhi and West Bengal over the years for supply of quality plants every year as the small number of certified nurseries in the State could not meet the growing demands of the farmers sufficiently.
�Our aim is to provide quality planting material to the farmers across the State. Within a year, for example, about 16 lakh saplings will be produced. We will be able to extend the production upto 24 lakhs as per the increasing demand,� said Dr Bujarbaruah.
With financial assistance from the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY), the Vice Chancellor initiated the project in one-and-a-half acre plot of land within the university campus in a virtually fallow patch which had been lying idle for years.
Attending the function, State Agriculture Minister Nilomani Sen Deka hoped that the mega-agriculture hub will be a major help for the framers.
