Assam Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika on Monday, 2 November 2026, directed senior officials to work towards doubling the number of Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) in the state, while pushing for wider crop diversification and stronger market linkages to raise farmers' incomes. The directives came at a review meeting chaired by Hazarika at Krishi Bhawan in Khanapara, Guwahati.

Key Directives from the Review Meeting

At the meeting — attended by the Agriculture Department Commissioner and senior officials — Hazarika assessed progress across several flagship programmes, including the Makhana Mission, the Edible Oil Palm Mission, and the Pulse Mission. He also reviewed the proposed Rajmah Mission in the Barak Valley, a hill-terrain region with potential for high-value legume cultivation.

The Minister stressed the need to move beyond conventional paddy cultivation, urging officials to promote alternative crops including makhana, agarwood, edible oil palm, coconut, and dragon fruit, alongside other horticultural produce. He also directed officials to ensure timely implementation of departmental schemes, strengthen accountability, and deepen grassroots engagement so that government initiatives deliver tangible benefits to farmers.

Assam's Horticulture Ambition

Hazarika articulated the state government's broader vision of transforming Assam into a leading horticulture-based state by leveraging the distinct agricultural potential of individual districts. This district-specific approach, according to the Minister, is intended to move the state away from a one-crop dependency that has historically limited farmer incomes.

Notably, this push aligns with a wider national trend of state governments seeking to reduce paddy monoculture and diversify agricultural output to improve rural incomes and reduce water stress.

Expanding Potato Farming and Industry Partnerships

In a separate engagement, Hazarika met with representatives of a private agri-industry unit that operates a processing plant in Nalbari. The unit currently works with around 1,200 potato farmers across Assam and has a significant and growing requirement for potatoes.

Discussions focused on expanding the company's farmer base, strengthening market linkages, and scaling up potato production to meet the company's operational requirements. Hazarika emphasised that assured market access is critical to improving income for potato growers, and called for broader farmer enrolment under the partnership model.

What This Means for Assam's Farmers

The doubling of FPCs, if executed, would give more farmers access to collective bargaining power, shared infrastructure, and direct market access — mechanisms that have demonstrably improved farmer incomes in states like Maharashtra and Gujarat where FPC models are more mature. The challenge for Assam will be moving from policy intent to ground-level implementation, a gap that has historically slowed agricultural reform in the Northeast.

Hazarika stated that strengthening the agriculture sector, encouraging crop diversification, and promoting industry-farmer partnerships would remain key priorities of the state government in the months ahead.