Climate change has threatened Agriculture: Agriculture Minister Atul Bora

GUWAHATI: Agriculture Minister Atul Bora said that global climate change has posed a remarkable threat to the Agriculture Sector.

"Where there are challenges, there are hopes. And where there is hope, success sprouts," said Assam Agricultural Minister Atul Bora while addressing the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Horticultural Research Station of Assam Agricultural University at Kahikuchi, Guwahati.

Speaking as the chief guest at the golden jubilee celebration of the Horticulture Research Station under Assam Agricultural University, Guwahati today, Bora said that agricultural scientists are facing two major challenges lately, one is environmental and the other is economical. The main duty of today's agricultural scientists should be to maintain the sustainability of the agricultural sector and make farmers economically profitable during situations like climate change.

Stating the scenario of potato cultivation in the State, Minister Bora said that the State has been able to produce potatoes up to 17 metric tonnes per hectare of agricultural land as against the state average production of 7.5 metric tonnes per hectare after using the technology of International Potato Centre, Peru under Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART). Assam needs reliable scientific research results to accelerate the economic development of the farmers, he added. The minister said that the people of the state have been observing the role of the Assam Agricultural University in strengthening the development chain of the rural economy of Assam.

Referring to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's emphasis on building Atmanirbhor Assam to strengthen the idea of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the Agriculture Minister said that recently the new generation of the state has come forward to become self-sustained by taking up agriculture and its allied sectors. It is the responsibility of agricultural scientists and agriculture officers to provide all kinds of support to these young generations. He also said that a few FPCs of Assam has created a renaissance in the field of agricultural exports. In his address, Agriculture Minister Bora sought the cooperation of agricultural universities in schemes like Assam Millet Mission, Assam Floriculture Mission, etc., being implemented by the Department of Agriculture and Horticulture. In line with the golden jubilee year, Minister Bora has inaugurated a Skill Development Centre funded by Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and also distributed planting materials and agricultural implements to farmers of different districts of the State under the Model Floriculture Village and Amar Gaon Amar Gaurav schemes implemented by Assam Agricultural University, a press release said.

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