Assam: Bumper growth in horticulture encourages farmers to leave paddy cultivation

Guwahati: Assam has experienced a major shift in the agriculture sector. Farmers are shifting from traditional farming to the horticulture sector, taking more interest in growing fruits, vegetables, spices, and flowers, gaining popularity, and showing remarkable growth. The horticulture product in the state touched a tremendous 81.03 lakh metric tonnes (MT) in the year 2023-24. As per the government sources currently, horticulture has been covering about 15% of the total crop area of Assam.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “The rise in horticulture production shows the strong growth of this sector. Many farmers are now choosing to grow crops other than paddy. Our government is fully supporting this change and giving priority to commercializing horticulture.”

Several horticulture products of Assam, like lemons, pineapples, ginger, and turmeric, are getting placed in the supermarkets of England, the UAE, and Switzerland. This became possible through government-certified exporters under APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority).

A total of 6.76 lakh hectares of land were used for growing horticultural crops in 2023-24. Horticulture is gaining popularity due to shrinking paddy lands amid road expansion, establishment of industries, soil erosion, and so on. Use of modern techniques and better support systems encouraged farmers to move towards this sector.

Several government schemes, such as the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, the National Mission on Edible Oils, the Horticulture Mission for Northeast and Himalayan States, and others, have inspired farmers a lot to venture into the horticulture sector, creating new avenues for farmers along with strengthening the economy of the state.