Guwahati, July 25 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday announced that the state government will bear 5 per cent of the beneficiary contribution for loans availed under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), while Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) will receive full support with the state covering their entire 10 per cent contribution.
Addressing a state-level workshop on the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund in Guwahati, the Chief Minister said the initiative is aimed at encouraging farmers, agri-entrepreneurs and FPOs to invest in modern agricultural infrastructure and value-added activities.
Sarma said Assam has been allocated Rs 2,050 crore under the Centre’s flagship Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, of which loans worth Rs 1,181 crore have already been sanctioned to 893 beneficiaries, including farmers, FPOs and agri-entrepreneurs.
He said Rs 736 crore has already been disbursed, while the state still has the potential to utilise nearly Rs 900 crore from the existing allocation. Expressing confidence that Assam would secure a higher allocation in the next phase, Sarma said the state would seek around Rs 4,000 crore after the Centre approved an additional Rs 1 lakh crore for the scheme nationwide.
The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2020 under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, provides loans of up to Rs 2 crore per project with a 3 per cent annual interest subvention for seven years, along with collateral-free credit guarantee support.
The Chief Minister said the scheme enables farmers to establish warehouses, cold storage units, custom hiring centres, food processing facilities, oil extraction units, polyhouses, hydroponic and aeroponic systems, drones and other post-harvest infrastructure.
Highlighting Assam’s vulnerability to recurring floods, Sarma stressed the need to diversify agriculture beyond traditional paddy cultivation and promote horticulture and value-added products. He cited opportunities in processing ginger, pineapple, Assam lemon, Bhut Jolokia, red rice, mushrooms and organic tea, while also emphasising bamboo-based industries as a major avenue for rural entrepreneurship.
Calling upon young entrepreneurs to utilise the scheme, Sarma urged ministers, legislators, banks and the Agriculture Department to intensify awareness campaigns to ensure wider participation from across the state.
Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika and several cabinet ministers, MPs, MLAs, senior government officials, bankers and agri-entrepreneurs attended the workshop.
–IANS
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