Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 27 (ANI): The Assam government has initiated a multi-departmental effort to promote the state's agarwood sector, with Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika seeking inputs from farmers, growers, traders and industry representatives on measures required to develop the high-value industry.
The first meeting of the Multi-Departmental Task Force for the Promotion of Assam's Agarwood Sector, followed by a day-long stakeholders' interaction, was held at the Assam Administrative Staff College in Khanapara on Wednesday.
Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika, Industry Minister Bimal Borah and Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, along with Chief Secretary Ravi Kota and senior officials from various departments, participated in the meetings. Agarwood growers, farmers, traders, processors and representatives from the industry also attended the interaction.
Assam is estimated to have around two lakh hectares of agarwood plantations, giving the state a substantial resource base for developing the sector. The government is now looking at ways to convert this existing potential into a structured value chain covering plantation and cultivation to processing, value addition, marketing and exports.
During the stakeholders' interaction, Hazarika directly engaged with agarwood farmers and growers to understand the practical difficulties they face in plantation and cultivation. Farmers and other stakeholders raised issues concerning the development of the sector and sought greater institutional support.
The Agriculture Minister expressed hope that their concerns could be addressed through a dedicated Agarwood Policy for Assam, which would provide a clearer framework for the sector and create opportunities for farmers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders.
Agarwood has considerable commercial value and is used in products including agarwood oil, perfumes, incense and fragrances. The government sees the sector as having potential to generate employment, encourage entrepreneurship, increase value addition and improve incomes for growers.
The stakeholders' meeting also discussed issues related to processing, marketing, regulatory requirements, industrialisation and value addition. Participants emphasised the need for stronger institutional support, greater investment and better coordination among departments dealing with different aspects of the sector.
The multi-departmental task force, meanwhile, discussed the need to formulate a comprehensive roadmap for the sustainable growth of agarwood in Assam. It will examine the challenges affecting growers and the wider industry and work towards creating an enabling environment for the sector.
The government said the development process would seek to balance commercial opportunities with the interests of farmers and growers. Suggestions received during the stakeholders' interaction will be considered while preparing the proposed policy and roadmap.
Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, in his address at the stakeholders' meeting, said the suggestions and recommendations received from farmers, growers, industry representatives and other stakeholders would be duly considered in taking forward the process of developing a comprehensive policy and roadmap for Assam's agarwood sector.
The initiative comes as the state seeks to unlock the economic potential of a sector that has traditionally been associated with Assam while creating a more organised ecosystem for cultivation, processing and global marketing of agarwood products. (ANI)
Assam government moves to promote agarwood sector, plans dedicated policy
