HT Correspondent
JORHAT,  April 9 : Hari Shankar Gupta, Chairman, Agriculture Commission, Assam and former Director, Borlaug Institute for South Asia addressing the 25 th convocation of Assam Agricultural University here on Wednesday said that agricultural scientists must commit to increasing the income of the nearly 69 per cent of the population involved in farming.
 To achieve this, the farming community must gain access to modern agricultural technologies, he said. The development and dissemination of advanced technologies across agriculture and allied sectors are vital to enhancing the livelihoods of farming households and boosting the state’s overall growth. Assam Agricultural University can play a central role in this transformation by pioneering and promoting these innovations for the benefit of Assam’s farmers, he said.
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He said that the vision of a rising Assam demands robust growth in agriculture and allied sectors.
 While the university has performed commendably in its core areas, the need for further improvement remains pressing. Crop productivity continues to be a major concern, as Assam’s per hectare yield of major crops lags behind that of leading Indian states. Enhanced productivity and diversification into high-value crops like fruits, vegetables, and spices were identified as key drivers of growth. The low productivity in the agricultural and allied sectors highlights the vast potential for sustained development in the state. Researchers at Assam Agricultural University were urged to identify and disseminate best practices to farmers.
As agriculture undergoes significant global transformation, it is expected that the university will continue to strengthen its research portfolio in these cutting-edge fields.
Gupta also encouraged the University to intensify efforts in data analytics, leveraging large datasets from reliable sources to derive insights into crop health, yield potential, and resource needs. Such advancements would facilitate timely and precise decision-making, ultimately benefiting farmers across the state.
The scientist spoke on the importance of environmentally friendly farming practices, such as water conservation, minimising chemical inputs, and promoting soil health. These sustainable approaches are considered crucial to elevating Assam’s agricultural sector to the next level, he felt.
Assam Minister for Agriculture Atul Bora, who was the guest of honour on the occasion, spoke of various undertaken by the Government to enhance the agri sector and of the achievements in the sector.
The AAU on the occasion conferred Honorary doctorates to Dr Purnima Devi Barman, a wildlife biologist who is a recipient of prestigious Whitley Gold Award known as the ‘Green Oscar’ for her exemplary conservation efforts aimed at protecting the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork and its wetland habitat,  and to Padma Shri awardee and renowned environmentalist Jadav Payeng .
Altogether 548 students from nine colleges under thè AAU, were presented their certificates for their respective courses including PhD, gold medals and other awards at the event.
Earlier, the AAU Vice-Chancellor Dr Bidyut Chandan, in his welcome address, spoke about the progress of the university and about the steps taken to promote innovative thinking and enhance capacity in the agriculture sector.Â
