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Assam got a 5,000-tonne capacity cold storage unit in the Chaygaon area which is by far the region's largest, along with a fruit-processing centre at the food-processing park at Satabari under Kamrup district.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated both projects on Tuesday, an official statement from Chief Minister's Office said. The 5,000-metric-tonne cold-storage facility has been constructed by the Assam State Agricultural Marketing Board at a cost of Rs 24.75 crore. The "chiller" and "freezer" rooms of this facility are likely to benefit farmers of Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup (Rural), Goalpara, Nalbari and Barpeta districts. "While the "chiller" rooms would be meant for storage of agricultural items such as potatoes, fruits and other vegetables, the "freezer" room would be of use in storage of milk and milk-produces," the statement said. The fruit-processing unit has been built at a cost of Rs 2.89 crore. Speaking at a public meeting held at the Chaygaon College playground, Chief Minister Sarma appealed to the youths of the state to focus on the processing and packaging of agricultural produces and items. Further, stating that the State's produce such as ginger, pepper, lemon, and joha rice had great demand in the national and international market, the Chief Minister said the farmers of these items should be able to reap remunerative values only if the produce is further processed and packaged, which will add to value-addition. This, he said, would have a huge positive impact on the ongoing process of strengthening of the State's economy, the statement added. Owing to the State government's initiatives, there has been annual export of horticulture produce to the tune of Rs 200 crores in the past couple of years and the Chief Minister exuded confidence that in days to come this figure can easily cross the Rs 1,000-crore mark. Moreover, he appealed to the Department of Agriculture to take necessary measures in this regard. Stating that the State's economy is still highly dependent on agriculture, the Chief Minister spoke about the initiatives towards modernization in the agricultural sector, expanding the market for farm produce and attracting the youths towards the sector, among others. At the event, the Chief Minister also appealed to the people of the State to come forward and get involved in agarwood, teak-wood cultivation, etc, and move towards the path of self-reliance and economic independence. (ANI)
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