Guwahati: Assam Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika announced a major push to overhaul state farming. He wants bigger, more organized horticulture production. The plan also focuses on reviving Rabi crop cultivation in areas recently battered by floods.
Jorhat hosted the announcement. Officials are currently drafting the specifics to scale up the department's reach. The goal is to provide farmers with new ways to make a living. The minister kept the details straightforward. "We are planning it and working on it. Our department is preparing a big plan for how to start and expand horticulture on a large scale," Hazarika said.
Financial relief is coming. The government promised compensation for all farmers hit by recent floodwaters. This money aims to help them restart their operations immediately. Officials intend to move quickly to get seeds in the ground and restore agricultural output across the state.
Updated at 17th August 2026 at 1:50am
Hazarika took his message to the 79th Foundation Day of the College of Agriculture at Assam Agricultural University in Jorhat on August 16. He challenged graduates to stop chasing government paychecks and start building businesses in farming and horticulture. He argued that the state sector cannot absorb every graduate and that successful agri-preneurs can pull in more cash than the average desk worker.
The state is gearing up to flood the market with 5 crore high-value fruit saplings. Hazarika also wants students to spearhead Makhana cultivation as a way to boost rural income. To get more young people into the fold, the Agriculture and Education departments are signing an agreement to run workshops at 50 colleges across the state.
During his visit to the university, Hazarika scouted research sites for climate-resilient farming, fish-paddy integration, and seed development. He confirmed that the department is already shipping paddy and horticulture stocks to four districts hammered by the recent floods to get growers back on their feet.
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