Citing the example of countries like Vietnam where valueaddition to their products have helped in growth of exports, Assam ChiefMinister Sarbananda Sonowal urged Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE),Guwahati to come up with ways to help the state's agri entrepreneurs by addingmore value to their produce so that markets within the country and abroad canbe captured.
Informing that there is more than Rs 2000 crore with the 2200Gaon Panchayats (GPs) of the state which they received under 14th financecommission, the Chief Minister called on the IIE to devise strategies forproper utilization of the fund as the GPs do not posses technical wherewithalfor the same. The institute can help in identifying the sectors where funds canbe judiciously utilized and better employment opportunities can be generatedwithin the rural economy, he said.
Saying that only imparting skill training was not enough asmarket linkage must also be provided for the youths engaged in agriculturesector, Sonowal asserted that there was no survey conducted of marketrequirement in the state and therefore, products produced by local farmers andentrepreneurs find it difficult to capture the market.
He urged IIE to pitch in identifying inherent strengths ofthe state in sectors such as fishery, horticulture, livestock etc so that aproper market chain can be developed for the entrepreneurs and farmers.
