Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Assam Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika is pushing back against opposition critics. He mocked the idea that village upbringing guarantees farming expertise, specifically regarding paddy seed sowing. He refuses to back down from his agenda.
Hazarika championed palm oil cultivation during a recent state-level Agriculture Department workshop. He aimed his sights at the nation's rising costs. "Two types of oil are sinking the country, one is edible oil and the other is petrol," he stated.
The minister also addressed public perceptions of ministerial wealth. He claimed he actively cuts his own spending to save cash. He drives an electric vehicle to lower his transport costs. Additionally, he installed solar panels at his wife's shop. That single move saved 1.10 lakh rupees in electricity bills. Hazarika insists these efforts prove the value of renewable energy, and he remains committed to his development work despite the political noise.
Updated at 24th August 2026 at 9:52pm
Beyond his political sparring, Hazarika is pivoting toward a strategy focused on high-value crops and market-oriented farming. Speaking at a workshop at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra, he laid out a five-year roadmap aimed at double and triple cropping to juice productivity from existing land. The state plans to push makhana in mission mode, projecting returns of 40,000 to 50,000 rupees per bigha. Distribution of makhana seeds kicks off this February.
The ministry's plan also targets a major horticulture expansion, with seven crore fruit saplings slated for distribution next season. Litchi production sits at the top of the priority list to meet international demand, while Sivasagar and Charaideo districts get a targeted rollout of coconut saplings. To support this growth, officials are angling for 11,000 crore rupees in externally aided projects split between agriculture and irrigation infrastructure.
Currently, only 21 percent of state farmland has irrigation. Hazarika aims to double that reach over the next five years. The department has already rolled out a digital portal for the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm and is pushing to link local growers directly to export chains.
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