The agricultural sector of Assam has immense potentialities. Especially because of the presence of Brahmaputra and Barak River, this possibility is quite high. These two rivers keep the glebe fertile throughout the year.
Recent study conduct by Wirally shows that Assam is one of the top five most convenient states of producing varieties of crops around the whole of India.
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However, it doesn’t consist that Assam’s agro-industry is completely free from obstacles. Of course, as its potentialities; it has so many obstacles on the road.
Through this article, we will be making a critique of the agricultural system of Assam.
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- Why Assam agriculture has a better probability than other states of India?
- Which are the main issues regarding the agriculture of Assam?
- How to solve the issues?
Why Assam has a better probability than other states of India?
The fertility of the Barak and Brahmaputra valley
For the very first time when Ahom’s entered the valley of Brahmaputra, they saw something miracle here.
And they expressed their feeling with these four words – ‘Mun Dun Chun Kham’. This means the country of golden grain.
The soils of Brahmaputra and Barak River’s valley are so much fertile that it is possible to produce most agricultural crops that can be produced in most parts of the Indian sub-continent. Even the weather is quite compatible.
We can’t ignore the truth that Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Maharashtra produce more crops than Assam. But analyzing the other side we found that they use many artificial techniques to make it possible.
Assam is still in a backward position in using these techniques like these Indian states. Now just think, what will happen, if Assam fully gets able to use these techniques in its segment?
Probabilities are it will overpass these big players.
The unstoppable growth of unemployment
No doubt that unemployment is one of the worst social problems. But in the case of Assam agriculture, this can be used in a good direction.
In 2020 Assam has more than 17 lakhs of educated unemployed and 3 lakhs of uneducated jobless people.
If these people are attracted through a proper ‘agro-entrepreneurship’ education system then I think this worst problem can be converted to a better probability.
The main state of valuable commercial crops
Assam’s climate is suitable for maximum cereals production, such as tea, rice, jute, rubber, sugarcane, wheat, potato, cotton, pulse, oil, and various fruits.
Tea is the main commercial crop of this state. Even, the land is world-famous for this green grain.
Every year Assam alone produces more than 57% of whole India’s tea production and supplies it to different states and countries around the globe.
Depending upon Assam’s tea production, India upgraded its rank into number 2nd position after China. (2019 report)
Along with tea, it exports rice, jute, areca nuts, and more other crops to other places. There are still so many possibilities for rice, tea and jute cultivation in Assam.
Implementing modern ideas in agriculture will definitely grow this region’s socio-economic condition to a better level.
Which are the main issues regarding the agriculture of Assam?
Heavy flood
From thousands of year’s Assam has been suffering from flood problems.
Every year, especially during the rainy season (May-August), the Brahmaputra and its tributaries generate terrible floods in almost the whole valley.
And this flood destructs everything, from people’s lives to agriculture.
Assam’s farmers put a lot of effort into their agro land with the hope that they will produce something better than the last year.
But similarly, flood kills their hopes every year.
One can never even imagine the attachment of emotion of a farmer towards his paddy field, who has such no experience.
These wastages are really disappointing for a farmer and sometimes it becomes enough to left out the job forever.
Peoples mentality over agriculture
Most people in Assam never approach agriculture as a career. No matter are they educated or not, but 98 percent of people never want to be a cultivator in this state.
I don’t want to talk about others; even my parents don’t want me to be a cultivator.
They always taught me to find a government job or something else; but cultivation, stay away.
Assam’s social environment is something like that a person can never get actual social support for doing this job. Although so many practical causes work well behind this serious fact.
A few major causes of them:
- Cultivation is not an easy job. It takes a lot of physical and mental works. But instead of cultivation; a government job is easy to do and comfortable.
- In Assam, the ruminative is quite less than the effort a cultivator put in his work.
- Usually, we see people respect a farmer very very less. Even, sometimes we feel shame when societies boycott a person for starting a pig farm.
- Whatever, but in the end, agriculture is a game of entrepreneurial business. Not all people have entrepreneurial knowledge. Therefore people don’t want to take risks, even though they have stock of so many experiences.
Administration And Assam Government Duty
Its government duty to create a better environment to encourage farmers for doing more, but Assam’s condition is contrary to it.
Instead of encouraging small farmers, the government always takes those decisions, which harms farmers a lot.
Whether it is through grain prices, seeds price, or steps against syndicates. Everywhere these poor people get pissed off.
Even some people who have been appointed to give information related to agriculture, have no knowledge over their own subject or sometimes they don’t want to help visitors.
Around a year back, I went to an agriculture center near my home town. I went for asking them to help me in Mushroom farming.
But, when I talked with one of the employees (a woman) she told me, go and get more than four people. We don’t teach only one person.
I felt, was it my duty to bring more people to the center?
It’s their duty to teach me, even after I was alone; but ironically they denied my request.
How to solve the issues?
- Government and administration has to create a better environment; like prevent syndicate, has to determinate proper prices for crops, focusing on agro modernization through high-quality seeds, fertilizers, etc.
- The agricultural education system has to be improved. New generation youths need to understand that cultivation is not a low-status job but it has the potential to make someone rich.
- Finally, people should focus on changing some of their Imprudence traditional mentality. Until we do this, nothing is going to work.