CM launches Kisan Rath (Fruits & amp; Vegetables) Mobile App

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched Kisan Rath (Fruits & vegetables) Mobile App to facilitate timely selling of agriculture products by promoting buyer-seller network in a programme held at Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati today. The App developed, designed and technically maintained by NIC, will be implemented on the ground by the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation (APART) project which will provide training to farmers and other stakeholders on using the App. The App can be run in Assamese, Hindi and English.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sonowal said that the App would be a new vehicle for boosting agri-business by opening up markets across the country for farmers of Assam to get maximum benefit for their produce. He said that the App would help farmers to emerge strongly in today’s competitive market and prove as a boon to growers of perishable fruits and vegetable as it would lead to radical reduction in wastage of their produce.

Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi since the time of assuming office has been working to double farmers’ income to give them a life of dignity, the Chief Minister said that central government schemes like PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Fasal Bima Yojana, KCC etc. have strengthened agricultural ecosystem in the country and made agriculture a dignified calling.

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Observing that the PM’s goal of doubling farmers’ income and initiatives in the farm sector inspired governments across the country to focus on agriculture, Sonowal said that Assam government has been implementing schemes like Chief Minister’s Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana and Krishi Sa-Sajuli Yojana etc. in a bid to make agriculture more productive and remunerative. He also said that the State government has been giving adequate stress on agriculture to realize the PM's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and urged the youth to take up farming to build a robust economy of the State.

Minister of Agriculture, Horticulture and Food Processing Atul Bora in his speech said that during the corona virus induced nationwide lockdown farmers had to face severe hardship and incurred huge losses. However, during first 70 days of the lockdown, farmers of Assam sold vegetables within Assam and outside worth Rs. 357 crore and more than 5000 farmers directly engaged themselves as vendors which helped to emerge new farmers’ markets in the State.

The Agriculture Minister further said that Kisan Rath App would eliminate the adverse role of middlemen creating new market opportunities for farmers and increasing their bargaining power. He also said that alongwith implementation of central government schemes; State Agriculture Department has also launched many innovative schemes which promise to bring significant changes in the farm sector in the days to come.

Noteworthy that the newly launched App interconnects online more than 10,000 farmers, 50 farmer producer organizations and 1,000 verified agricultural traders. The App was initially released by the Government of India and has been customized by NIC Assam to suit the requirements of the State. The App provides the added advantage of enabling farmers to take advantage of all relevant schemes and opens up the national market outside the state for surplus products.

While Project Director APART Vinod Seshan explained the objective and operational procedure of the App, the programme was attended by Chief Minister’s Media Adviser Hrishikesh Goswami, Legal Adviser Santanu Bharali, Principal Secretary of Agriculture Rajesh Prasad, Commissioner & Secretary of Agriculture Akashdeep, Deputy Director of NIC Suchitra Pyarelal, officials of the Agriculture Department and several farmers and agricultural traders among others.

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