Asom Unnati Sabha's project on rural employment generation :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMYVzQfSL_A
Unnati Sabha bid to boost self-employment in State
By Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI, Feb 2 The Asom Unnati Sabha today signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Guwahati Marketing Company, which will help the Sabha
market the potato in the State. The Sabha, a close associate of the All Assam
Students Union (AASU), had already started potato cultivation in composite
farming system at about 5000 bighas of land in various parts of the Barpeta
district in Lower Assam.
Talking to the media persons here today, AASU advisor Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya
said that the large-scale potato cultivation has been started by the Sabha to
ensure self-employment generation among the youth of the State and thereby
improving the standard of living.
It is very heartening to know that a good number of women and girls are also
engaged in the farming process, which is a very encouraging sign, Bhattacharya
stated.
The Sabha, it may be recalled, had earlier taken huge lands under composite
farming system for growing papaya and lemon in the districts like Tinsukia and
Bongaigaon.
Dr Bhattacharyya further informed that they had engaged agricultural scientists
in the project and added that as per the estimates potato cultivation in one
bigha land would yield 4000 kgs of potato.
We are starting with this and if it succeeds we are going to replicate the
system all over the State, said Bhattacharyya, while adding, The first crop
will be ready for harvesting by February 20.
AASU general secretary Sankar Prasad Roy said that the earlier venture that the
Sabha had started with the cultivation of papaya and lemon is also showing very
fruitful results and a private sector organization had assured us to buy back
our products.
Now that the Guwahati Marketing Company has come forward to help us with
marketing our potato, it is very positive sign for the entire State. They would
buy back all the products from us, said Roy, while adding that this would help
generating self-employment among the youth of the state.
Proprietor of the Guwahati Marketing Company Mohit Dhir, who was also present
on the occasion, stressed that the company is in a position to buy all the
products to be grown here. The potato market in the State is of about Rs 300
to Rs 400 crore. Almost 90 percent of the products come from outside the State
and so buying the local production is not a big deal, he said.
When asked, Dhir revealed that the company had arranged for necessary cold
storage facilities for keeping the potato across the State.
The potato to be grown by the Sabha is of good variety. The variety include
Kufri Pokhraj and Kufri Jyoti and we are hopeful of a good result, said Dhir
while adding that they are in a position to handle even more products from the
State.
The students body has meanwhile asked the State Bank of India to expedite the
process of giving loans to the farmers, which, at present, is going at snails
pace.
(The Assam Tribune.03.02.2008)
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