Assam hosts landmark AIF workshop to empower 5,000 farmers and agri-entrepreneurs

In a major push to strengthen agricultural infrastructure across the state, the Assam Agriculture Department organized a massive Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) Workshop in Guwahati. The event brought together nearly 5,000 farmers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and agri-entrepreneurs under one roof to explore financing and expansion opportunities under the central scheme.

The workshop was inaugurated by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the presence of Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Pijush Hazarika. The initiative aligns with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to make agriculture more robust, sustainable, and financially rewarding. A major milestone highlighted during the event was the sanctioning of Rs 1,181.13 crore in AIF loans to 893 farmers, FPOs, and agri-entrepreneurs across Assam.

Formal loan sanction cheques were handed over to new beneficiaries during the ceremony to accelerate post-harvest management and infrastructure setup. Speaking at the occasion, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced several farmer-centric initiatives aimed at modernizing farm logistics, improving cold storage, enhancing value addition, and providing direct market access.

With the Government of India expanding the national AIF corpus by an additional Rs 1 lakh crore, state leaders expressed confidence that a significantly larger pool of agripreneurs and primary producers from Assam will benefit in the coming years. Sharing details of the event, Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Pijush Hazarika noted that the AIF scheme offers eligible beneficiaries institutional loans up to Rs 2 crore with a 3% interest subvention.

He emphasized that these infrastructure investments will boost income opportunities for local Annadatas (farmers) and take Assam’s rural economy to new heights.