Sonowal for triple cropping system in Assam to boost economy

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday urged agricultural scientists to take measures for increasing fertility of the state's crop area to practise triple cropping system throughout the year.

"If this can be done, it will help in increasing production and in a state where approximately 53 per cent of the workforce is engaged in agriculture, a scientific approach can turn around the states economy which is in slump because of the pandemic," he said.

The chief minister visited the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in the Assam Agricultural Universitys Kahikuchi campus here and requested the scientists to take the lead in the state's endeavour to strengthen its agro-based economy. A day after announcing that the state is losing Rs 1,000 crore revenue per day due to the lockdown, Sonowal said the pandemic has affected the economy adversely, but the bail-out package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ushered in a ray of hope.

The chief minister urged the farming community to take advantage of the package as the stimulus would ensure reforms in the farm sector. He also said that as part of the Centres announcement, the farmers will get the freedom to sell their produce directly without any middleman.