Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday urged the youth of the state to focus on processing and packaging of agriculture produces and items.
He said various produces from the state are in high demand globally and proper processing and packaging will ensure even more endorsement of these products.
Sarma was speaking after inaugurating a 5,000 metric-tonne-capacity cold-storage facility at Chaygaon and a fruit-processing centre at the food-processing park at Satabari, both under Kamrup district.
The cold-storage facility has been constructed by the Assam State Agricultural Marketing Board for Rs 24.75 crore.
The fruit-processing unit has been built at Rs 2.89 crore and is the first of its kind in the state.
The chief minister pointed out that products such as ginger, pepper, lemon, ‘joha rice’, etc. have great demand in the national and international markets.
He maintained that the farmers of these items shall be able to reap remunerative values for their produces only if they are further processed and packaged.
He urged the farmers, especially the youth, to take advantage of the government incentives in this sector.
Sarma said that there has been annual export of horticulture produce to the tune of Rs 200 crore in the past couple of years and exuded confidence that this figure can easily cross the Rs 1,000-crore mark within a few years.
