- Buyer-Seller Conference in collaboration with State Government and APEDA

Guwahati, 04 February (HS): The Assam government is striving to turn the state into a leading exporter of agricultural products. Minister of Industry, Commerce and Public Enterprises Department Bimal Bora said that Assam faces many challenges, but the government will achieve this goal soon. He was speaking at the International Buyer-Seller Conference organized under the joint aegis of the Government of Assam and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Central Government at a hotel in Guwahati.

He said that Assam is an agricultural state and its favorable conditions and geographical location have full potential to turn it into a world-class agricultural products export market for Southeast Asian countries. The government is taking important steps in this direction.

Recently, 16 metric tonnes of natural honey and 26 metric tonnes of ginger were exported from Assam to Dubai, which the minister termed as a positive sign. He said that the government is giving priority to the export of processed food items instead of raw agricultural products.

The minister said that in collaboration with APEDA, farmers are getting training, which is benefiting them. He also stressed on the need for cold storage, packaging facilities and modern export system for the preservation of food products, so that the products of Assamese farmers can make a place in the international market.

For the first time in Assam, chips production has been planned under the Green Field Project in Nalbari with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), for which the required potatoes will be grown in Assam itself. Apart from this, a logistics park will be constructed in Jagiroad, which will provide transportation and other facilities to the exporters.

Many buyers and sellers from the country and abroad participated in this conference. The minister called upon them to cooperate in taking the agricultural products of Assam to the global market.

It is noteworthy that the Government of Assam and APEDA organized this international conference and buyer-seller meeting with the aim of taking the agricultural and horticultural products of the state to the global market, simplifying the process of buying and selling and making international buyers aware of Assam's products.

On this occasion, along with the officials of APEDA, Aruna Rajoria, Commissioner-Secretary of the Information and Public Relations Department of the Government of Assam, Birendra Mittal, Commissioner-Secretary of the Water Resources Department and other senior officials were also present.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash