Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika chairs joint meeting with fishery lessees; announces pilot project to cultivate Makhana in state’s natural wetlands
Agriculture Department targets 30,000 hectares for Makhana farming; 30% of AFDC beels to undergo trial to boost fish farmers’ income: Minister Hazarika
Dalim Phukan.
Hills Live News,Guwahati, November 6: Minister for Agriculture, Irrigation, and Parliamentary Affairs Pijush Hazarika today chaired a high-level joint meeting with lessees of natural water bodies (beels) at the Assam Administrative Staff College (AASC), organized in collaboration with the Fishery Department, to discuss crop integration and enhancing rural livelihoods.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Hazarika announced an experimental initiative to introduce Makhana (fox nut) cultivation in the state’s natural wetlands and beels. Noting that Makhana cultivation is already underway in 7 to 8 beels, he emphasized the need to scale up operations to other water bodies to supplement and boost the income of local fish farmers. To facilitate this, he urged lessees to clear water hyacinth from the beels, pointing out that clean water bodies are essential for both fish growth and Makhana cultivation. He also highlighted that the Water Resources Department has been mandated to protect and preserve the state’s natural water bodies.
Elaborating on the immense economic potential of the crop, Minister Hazarika stated that a 25-bigha beel can generate an annual revenue of up to Rs 25 lakh through Makhana farming.
He announced that the Makhana pilot project will initially cover 30 percent of the 186 fisheries managed by the Assam Fisheries Development Corporation (AFDC) Limited. He further urged that fishing communities be made fully aware of this economic opportunity, assuring complete government assistance for interested farmers, including specialized training.
Highlighting broader agricultural goals, the Minister informed that the Agriculture Department has set an ambitious target of bringing 30,000 hectares under Makhana cultivation across Assam, a vision that requires close synergy with the Fishery Department.
Describing Makhana as an emerging global superfood with surging demand in Western markets, he stressed that diversifying farm activities is vital for long-term sustainability. Additionally, he emphasized that regular stocking of fish fingerlings in the beels is crucial to keeping fisheries thriving and securing the livelihoods of traditional fishing communities.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Fisheries Nilima Devi, Assam Fisheries Development Corporation Chairman Gurujyoti Das, along with senior officials of the Agriculture and Fishery departments.