Department of Agriculture and Horticulture (Assam)

The Department of Agriculture and Horticulture () is a department in the state government of Assam, India which is responsible for the administration and promotion of agriculture in the state, regulation of agrarian services, ensuring food security and food processing, and improving livelihoods of the farming community.

The department is headed by a minister usually of cabinet rank, or the Minister of Agriculture, currently Atul Bora who has been in office since 24 May 2016.

History

The history behind the creation of the Department of Agriculture in Assam dates back to April 1882 during the colonial rule. The department was responsible for conducting crop-cutting experiments on winter rice, mustard and sugarcane cultivation in the state to assess the productivity of land preparation and assessment proposals during settlement.

In 1893, an Agricultural Conference was held in Shimla and based on the recommendations of the conference, the British Government deputed Sir E. Buck to Assam in 1895 to discuss and implement the conference's recommendations in Assam. Buck advocated the appointment of an agricultural expert to ascertain agricultural defects and introduce agricultural improvements. In 1897, B. C. Basu, a Deputy Collector in Bengal, was appointed as assistant director.

In 1905, following the partition of Bengal and the subsequent creation of the Eastern Bengal and Assam province, the Department of Agriculture was separated in 1907 to form the Department of Land Records and Agriculture. Assam became a separate province again in 1912 and the Department of Land Records and Agriculture continued to exist until 1922. In 1923, the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Industries was established.

Following India's independence in 1947 and the subsequent formation of the state government under the chief ministership of Gopinath Bordoloi, the Department of Agriculture was formed in the state. Omeo Kumar Das was appointed as the state's first agriculture minister. Since then, the department has existed.

Organisation

The Department of Agriculture and Horticulture is the nodal agency and is administered through two directorates and five specialised agencies:

Directorate of Agriculture

The Directorate of Agriculture () is responsible for the formulation and implementation of the state's agrarian policies and programmes aimed at achieving rapid agricultural growth through optimum utilisation of land, water, soil and plant resources and implementation of beneficiary-oriented schemes for the economic upliftment of the farmers. The directorate also establishes farmer-dependent coordination in implementing and providing technological knowledge to the farming community through agricultural extension services.

The directorate is also responsible for creating assured irrigation facilities for farmers through minor irrigation schemes, promoting the use of farmer-friendly bio-fertilisers, encouraging farmers to minimise pesticide use, and controlling environmental pollution through integrated pest management. It also monitors soil health, educates farmers on soil and water conservation technologies, undertakes measures to provide agricultural credit and crop insurance, helps the farmers in getting remunerative returns for their produce, and implements flood and drought relief programmes. It also contributes towards the economic empowerment of women and the eradication of rural poverty.

The directorate is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the following schemes and projects:

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Mukhya Mantri Krishi Sa Sajuli Yozana National e-Governance Plan-Agriculture (NeGP-A) National Food Security Mission (NFSM) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) National Mission on Agriculture Extension Technology (NMAET) National Mission on Oil Seeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY) Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) Chief Minister Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana (CMSGUY)

Directorate of Horticulture and Food Processing

The Directorate of Horticulture and Food Processing () is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes aimed at achieving rapid growth of the horticultural sector and ensuring an increase in area coverage to increase production and productivity of horticultural crops by transferring technology. It also undertakes all possible measures to ensure a timely and adequate supply of quality planting materials and motivates farmers to minimise the use of chemicals and adopt organic farming practices.

The directorate also aims to increase the production and productivity of fruit crops, vegetable crops, and spice crops and ensure good health and augment market and marketing facilities.

The Directorate of Horticulture and Food Processing is responsible for the implementation of the following schemes and projects:

Bee Keeping Scheme Coconut Development Scheme Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH) Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana -Per Drop More Crop (PMKSY-PDMC) Mission Organic Value Chain Development in Assam (MOVCDA) Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY) SASMIRA Scheme for Agro-Textile State Plan Scheme

Assam Seeds Corporation Limited

The Assam Seeds Corporation Limited () (ASCL) was established in 1967 to provide unique services for the production of all kinds of high-yielding varieties of seeds to the farmers and other customers at a fair price. It also produces foundation seeds from breeder seed on its own farm, which are then procured from the Assam Agricultural University.

Assam Seed and Organic Certification Agency

The Assam Seed and Organic Certification Agency ( (ASOCA) was established on 1 January 1985 as an autonomous body of the Government of Assam under the Seed Act 1966 and was registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The agency recognises varieties of seeds eligible for seed certification and publishes and maintains lists indicating the names of such varieties and kinds.

Assam State Agricultural Marketing Board

The Assam State Agricultural Marketing Board () (ASAMB) was established under the Assam Agricultural Produce Market (AAPM) Act 1972 to provide for better regulation of buying and selling of agricultural produce and the establishment of a market for agricultural produce in the state of Assam. The board is responsible for the coordination of the working of the market committees for the development of the market and market areas and state level planning of the development of agricultural produce and markets.

State Agriculture Management and Extension Training Institute

The State Agriculture Management and Extension Training Institute ( (SAMETI) is the state-level nodal training institute of Tripura, established under the scheme "Support to State Extension Programme for Extension Reform" in the year 2011 at Krishi Bhavan Campus, Khanapara, Guwahati. The institution is autonomous in nature, with greater flexibility in structure and functioning, and is responsible for human resource development and capacity building of extension functionaries of different line departments on scientific extension management.

Assam Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium

The Assam Small Farmers' Agri Business Consortium ( (ASFAC) was established on 1 October 2001 and was registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 on 24 December 2001. The agency functions to catalyse agro industrial growth in different parts of Assam based on principles of ecological sustainability, economic efficiency and social equity, and undertakes programmes for employment generation, growth and diversification of agriculture and other food based industries to increase food production and export of food products.

Ministers

PortraitMinisterTerm of officePolitical party MinistryChief Minister From To PeriodAli Haider Khan1 April 19374 February 1938United Muslim PartySaadulah lMuhammed SaadulahAbdul Matin Chaudhury5 February 193818 September 19387 months,13 daysAll-India Muslim LeagueAkshay Kumar Das19 September 193817 November 19391 year,1 month,29 daysConstitutionalist PartyBordoloi lGopinath BordoloiMunawwar Ali17 November 193924 December 19412 years,1 month,7 daysAll-India Muslim LeagueSaadulah llMuhammed SaadulahNaba Kumar Dutta25 August 194223 March 19452 years,6 months,26 daysAssam United PartySaadulah lllRupnath Brahma23 March 194511 February 194610 months,19 daysTribal LeagueAbdul Matlib Mazumdar11 February 194615 August 19471 year,6 months,4 daysIndian National Congress Bordoloi llGopinath Bordoloi15 August 194726 January 19502 years,5 months,11 daysOmeo Kumar Das 26 January 1950 5 August 1950 Bordoloi 9 August 1950 27 March 1952 Medhi I Bishnuram Medhi Ram Nath Das 28 March 1952 21 April 1957 Medhi II Moinul Hoque Choudhury 21 April 1957 27 December 1957 Medhi III 27 December 1957 1 March 1962 Chaliha I Bimala Prasad Chaliha 1 March 1962 16 March 1967 Chaliha II Lakshmi Prasad Goswami 16 March 1967 11 November 1970 Chaliha III Ataur Rahman Choudhury 11 November 1970 31 January 1972 Choudhry Mahendra Mohan Choudhry Upendra Das 31 January 1972 12 October 1974 Sinha Sarat Chandra Sinha Mohammad Umaruddin 12 October 1974 12 March 1978 Soneswar Boro 12 March 1978 4 September 1979 Janata Party Borbora Golap Borbora Santi Ranjan Das Gupta 9 September 1979 11 December 1979 Hazarika Jogendra Nath Hazarika Position vacant during this interval Anwara Taimur 6 December 1980 30 June 1981 Indian National Congress Taimur Anwara Taimur Position vacant during this interval Santi Ranjan Das Gupta 13 January 1982 19 March 1982 Janata Party Keshab Keshab Chandra Gogoi Position vacant during this interval Ranendra Narayan Basumatary 28 February 1983 23 December 1985 Indian National Congress Saikia I Hiteswar Saikia Nilamoni Das 24 December 1985 28 November 1990 Asom Gana Parishad Mahanta I Prafulla Kumar Mahanta Position vacant during this interval Anwara Taimur 30 June 1991 14 May 1996 Indian National Congress Saikia II Hiteswar Saikia Barman Bhumidhar Barman Chandra Mohan Patowary 15 May 1996 17 May 2001 Asom Gana Parishad Mahanta II Prafulla Kumar Mahanta Ardhendu Kumar Dey 17 May 2001 21 May 2006 Indian National Congress Tarun I Tarun Gogoi Pramila Rani Brahma 21 May 2006 18 May 2011 Bodoland People's Front Tarun II Nilamani Sen Deka 30 May 2011 26 January 2015 Indian National Congress Tarun III Rakibul Hussain 26 January 2015 24 May 2016 Atul Bora 25 May 2016 Incumbent Asom Gana Parishad Sonowal Sarbananda Sonowal Sarma I Himanta Biswa Sarma Himanta Biswa Sarma(Chief Minister) 12 May 2026 5 June 2026 Bharatiya Janata Party Sarma II Pijush Hazarika 5 June 2026 Incumbent

Department of Agriculture and Horticulture (Assam)

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