Assam Minister Urges Agriculture Students to Explore Farming and Agri-Entrepreneurship

Assam Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika has encouraged agriculture graduates to look beyond government employment and consider farming and agri-entrepreneurship as career opportunities.

Speaking at the 79th Foundation Day celebrations of the College of Agriculture at Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Jorhat, on August 16, Hazarika said government employment cannot accommodate every agriculture graduate. He urged students to adopt innovative approaches and build careers as farmers and agri-entrepreneurs.

The minister highlighted horticulture as an area with the potential to generate higher incomes than conventional salaried jobs. He also called for a change in the perception that farming is primarily a profession for economically disadvantaged communities.

Hazarika said the Agriculture Department would organise agricultural workshops at 50 colleges across Assam following directions from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He requested support from AAU officials and faculty members and said the Education Department and Agriculture Department would soon enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to support the programme.

The Agriculture Department also plans to distribute five crore high-value fruit saplings across Assam. Hazarika sought assistance from AAU in supporting farmers through the initiative.

He further encouraged agriculture students to promote Makhana cultivation, which he said could help farmers increase their income while providing an alternative agricultural opportunity.

The minister also said the Agriculture Department was accelerating the distribution of paddy seedlings and horticulture saplings to four districts recently affected by floods.

The Foundation Day event was attended by AAU Vice-Chancellor Dr Dipjyoti Rajkhowa, Madhabdev University Vice-Chancellor Arupjyoti Choudhury, MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa and MLAs Hitendra Nath Goswami, Rupjyoti Kurmi and Dhiraj Gowala, among other dignitaries.

After the event, Hazarika visited agricultural research and demonstration projects at the AAU campus. The projects included high-yielding paddy cultivation, seed research, climate-resilient integrated farming systems, the Amrit Sarovar project, integrated paddy-cum-fish farming models and agro-meteorological observatories.

Hazarika highlighted AAU's contribution to agricultural research, modern farming practices and efforts to improve productivity and self-reliance among Assam's farming community.