Asom Unnati Sabha's project on rural employment generation : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMYVzQfSL_A (youtube video)
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)
