Intro: The discussions focused on maximizing the state’s abundant natural resources while creating new opportunities for farmers, entrepreneurs, and rural communities.
New Delhi
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma held a high-level meeting with Union Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh in New Delhi on Thursday to formulate a comprehensive roadmap for accelerating the development of Assam’s fisheries and dairy sectors.
The discussions focused on maximizing the state’s abundant natural resources while creating new opportunities for farmers, entrepreneurs, and rural communities.
The meeting primarily explored ways to significantly increase fish production across Assam and establish the state as a leading fish-producing and fish-exporting hub. Both leaders examined strategies to strengthen the fisheries value chain by improving processing infrastructure, expanding storage facilities, and enhancing market access for producers. They also discussed initiatives aimed at improving export capabilities to enable Assam’s fish products to reach national and international markets more efficiently.
Following the meeting, Chief Minister Sarma shared details through a social media post, describing the interaction as highly productive. He praised the Union Minister’s extensive experience and in-depth understanding of the fisheries and dairy sectors. According to Sarma, the discussions focused on converting Assam’s immense natural potential into practical development initiatives capable of generating long-term economic growth.
The Chief Minister emphasized that increasing fish production alone would not be sufficient and highlighted the importance of developing an integrated value chain. This includes strengthening processing facilities, expanding cold storage infrastructure, improving transportation networks, and creating better marketing channels that can increase returns for fish farmers while supporting exports.
Alongside fisheries, considerable attention was devoted to strengthening Assam’s dairy sector through infrastructure development and improved institutional support. The leaders reviewed measures to expand dairy cooperatives across the state, allowing more farmers to participate in organized milk production and marketing systems.
The meeting also examined plans to improve veterinary healthcare services by expanding veterinary hospitals and establishing additional animal medicine centres. Officials discussed setting up Ultra High Temperature milk processing plants and milk powder manufacturing units to enhance milk preservation, reduce wastage, and increase the state’s dairy processing capacity.
Another key area of discussion involved improving cattle productivity through expanded artificial insemination programmes. Officials believe that better breeding practices, combined with improved veterinary care and nutrition, can significantly increase milk production while improving livestock health across rural Assam. Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh also described the meeting as warm and productive, reaffirming the Central Government’s commitment to supporting Assam’s fisheries and dairy development.