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Guwahati, Nov 17 (IANS): With a view to expand and increase millet cultivation in the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the ‘Assam Millet Mission’ here on Wednesday.
Sarma, speaking at a program here, said that the Millet Mission aims to increase the nutritional value and double the income of farmers in Assam. The operation will also increase crop production and contribute to crop diversity.
He added that farmers can now diversify their livelihood and agricultural production apart from regular crops, they can increase their fields to grow millet.
Initially, the Assam Millet Mission will be trained in an agricultural area of 25,000 hectares.
Later, there will be an increase of 50,000 hectares of agricultural land in the region.
A small number of knowledge centers were also opened on Wednesday which will help farmers in the region to get knowledge and hands on millet cultivation.
Sarma further said that from next year, the Assam government has fixed the MSP for the sale price at Rs 2,040 per quintal.
Therefore, he asked the farmers to sell their cotton to the government.
The state government is helping the local youth by providing subsidies to establish industries and other agricultural infrastructure, said the minister.
CM Sarma also inaugurated six Soil Testing and Quality Control laboratories at Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Udalguri, Golaghat, Karimganj and Darrang and two knowledge centers at Dhemaji and Titabor entirely under the same programme.
Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass and other members were also present on the occasion.
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