With a view to upliftment of economic status of farming community of B.T.C., different strategies have been undertaken by the Agricultural Department for increasing agricultural production/productivity. Some of specific achieve-ments are summarized below :

(A) Steps For Re-Oriented And Awareness Among Officers And Farmers :

(a) To enlighten the modern concept of different technologies particularly for horticultural crops and extension methodologies among field extension machineries and progressive farmers, S.H.G. and N.G.O., a two days Workshop Cum Seminar on Extension Methodology and prospect of commercial Horticulture for sustainable agriculture in B.T.C. was organized by the Department at “Amla Bhawan”, Kokrajhar on 9th and 10th January/06 where different resource persons/scientist of different disciplines participated and put forward valuable suggestions and ideas in the interaction sessions of two days seminar.

Mr. C. Narzary, Secretary, BTC, delivering speech at the workshop cum seminar.	Group of Women Trainees attending the training course on Fruit Preservation.

(b) Steps For Self-Employment And Income Generation : With a view to generate self employment and income among educated unemployed farm women by establishing small agro-based industries by utilizing locally available fruits and vegetables, attempts have been made to train up 500 nos. selected farm women from S.H.G./N.G.O. by providing six days short duration training course with the practical demonstration on fruits and vegetables preservation through departmental Demonstration Officer, Community Canning and Training Centre, Kokrajhar in different locations of four District of B.T.C.

(c) Exposure Visit : For capacity building in the light of recent applications of modern technologies outside the State, 10 nos. of officers from four Districts of B.T.C. had already been sent to Indian Institute of horticulture Research (IIHR) Bangalore during January/06 for training on “Production technology of Commercial medicinal and Aromatic Crops”.

Similarly, 18 nos. of selected farmers of B.T.C. along with two officers had also been sent to different places of Kerala under Exposure visit programme in the month of Dec/05/Jan/06 to expose themselves on modern technologies on different plantation crops adoptable to B.T.C. area.

CPCRI, Kassaragod, Kerala.	A Group of Farmers attending IPM training at Kokrajhar.

(d) Awareness Training Programme on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) : To motivate field extension machineries and farmers to go for Pest Management by application of different steps on biological Pest control- attempts have been made to train up 1400 farmers and V.L.E.W.s in 35 batches (40 nos./batch) in all Agricultural Sub-Divisions of B.T.C.

(B) Area Expansion Under Commercial Horticulture :
To encourage the farmers towards commercial Horticulture in B.T.C. area an ambitious programme have been undertaken for the economic upliftment of farming community by providing grants/assistance under Special Central Assistance (SCA) to T.S.P. and State plan budget from 2004-05/2005-06 budget to a tune of Rs. 248.835 lakhs to cover an area of 350.50 Hect. Under different Horticultural crops etc. benefiting 240 nos. selected farmers of B.T.C.

(C) Steps To Adopt Organic Farming And Self-Employment Generation :
Attempts have also been made to utilize organic manure for different crops for higher productivity as well as to reduce cost of cultivation by establishing medium size Vermi Compost Unit among 25 nos. of farmers selected from different District of B.T.C. by providing Rs. 30,000.00 assistance to each unit which will benefit the farmer in income generation and self-employment.

Black gram Crop.	Ripening stage of Paddy Crop.

(D) Production of Quality Certified Seeds at Departmental Agricultural Farm, Kokilabari under Baksa District :
To increase the area under HYV Seeds of paddy for higher production and to cater the needs of local paddy growers, the department of Agriculture, B.T.C. has taken up a production Plan for producing certified Sali Paddy seeds of variety viz- Ranjeet and Mashuri under ‘Seed Certification Programme’ at Kokilabari Agricultural Farm, Baksa. Out of the certified Seeds produced during 2005-06, 891.00 Qtls. have been distributed among 17820 nos. selected small and marginal farmers under “Rice Dev. Programme” 2006-07 as minikit demonstration at 5Kg./beneficiary generating a revenue of Rs. 9,35,550.00 from the seeds supplied and 850.00 Qtls. of Certified paddy seeds of variety: Ranjeet/Mashuri sold to A.S.C. Ltd. Expecting a revenue of Rs. 8,66,250.00, which will cater particularly the needs of the local farmers of B.T.C. as well as outside B.T.C. areas of Assam, 266.90 qtls. of certified paddy seeds sold locally to needy paddy growers generating a revenue of Rs. 2,80,245.00. Further an amount of Rs. 1,68,107.25 is expected by selling 238.45 qtls. of Sali Paddy seeds grown as non seeds. Moreover, 240.00 qtls. of non Seeds paddy of worth of Rs. 1,69,200.00 has already been donated to the Bodo Sahiyta Sobha which was held during Feb/06 at Kokilabari. As such, a grand total of Rs. 24,19,352.00 is generated from Kokilabari Agricultural farm under the Sali paddy seeds production programme for the year 2005-06 against a total investment of Rs. 15,67,577.00 being the cost of production for seeds, fertilizers, P.P. tractorization, labours etc. including Salaries of all the staff and gaining a net profit of Rs. 8,51,775.00. During the current year an ambitious programme for production of certified Sali paddy seeds has been taken up.

During 2005-06 an amount of Rs. 7,32,00.00 is generated by auction selling of 305.00 qtls. of Black gram produced at Barapeta Agricultural Farm.

(E) Step For Expansion of Area Under HYV Crops :

a) Rice : The Department has given stress on expansion of area under rice through distribution of High Yielding Varieties (HYV) seeds. Accordingly, 799.20 nos. of HYV summer paddy seeds have been distributed among 7992 nos. of small and marginal farmers at 10 Kg./farmers as minikit covering an area of 2131 Hect. in assured irrigated areas within B.T.C. at 100% subsidized rate.

Soil Testing Laboratory at Kokrajhar

b) Pulses And Oil Seeds : With the view to increase the areas under Pulses and Oil Seeds, attempt has been made to use HYV Pulse and Oil Seeds to get higher production and to achieve this; the Department has already distributed 118.08 qtls. of pea seeds among 2958 nos. small and marginal farmers covering an area of 197 Hect. and 59.16 qtls. of mustard seeds among 2958 nos. of small and farmers covering an area of 603 hect. respectively.

(F) Establishment of Soil-Testing Laboratory :
To maintain soil health for higher production soil testing is an important factor. With a target to achieve this soil-testing laboratory with machineries and equipment have been established at Kokrajhar, which is under the process of commissioning and will help the farming community to analysis the soil samples at free of cost departmentally.

(I) Engineering Wing :

The BTC has taken an ambitious plan for mechanisation of agriculture in order to increase the agricultural production and productivity throughout the BTC area. Under such a plan, bold steps have been initiated to provide tractors, power tillers and pump sets for irrigation, to encourage the farming community to achieve the target of agricultural production, through different schemes/projects.

F.I.S. Project	Hon’ble Deputy Chief and Secretary, BTC, on the occasion of Tractor Distribution Ceremony.

(A) Flow Irrigation/L.D. Projects : The Projects are meant for the farmers of the B.T.C. area for creating irrigation facilities, soil and water management to the agricultural land and restoration of the lands from siltation etc. by adopting various technical and scientific measures for the suitable for the areas selected for the purpose. An area of 16,091 Hect. of agricultural land is retrieved under this measure through the implementation of 60 nos. of schemes/projects in four districts of B.T.C. The Photo constructed under this measure reflects a live example.

(B) Manufacture of Improved Agricultural Implements : The scheme is meant for production of improved agricultural implements at the departmental workshop, for the farmers of The BTC area. The manufactured implements are sold to the farmers at 50% subsidy.
During the current year Rs. 3,37,699.00 is realized as sales proceed from the farmers of the B.T.C.

(C) Mechanised Cultivation : The projects is meant for increasing production of agricultural out puts by the farmers Of the BTC area, through utilization of modern agricultural machineries and implements. The project basically aims at grouping the farmers in a contiguous area, through a committee and assisting the farmers with provision of required agricultural machineries and equipments coupled with sufficient demonstration programme to carry out the various agricultural activities for increasing production. The basic aim of the project is to rehabilitate the ex BLT through the project in agriculture sector.
During the year, six nos. of tractors, 24 nos. of pump sets are distributed to ex BLT at free cost.

Agricultural Guest House, Kokrajhar.

(D) Purchase of Tractors : The tractors are meant for the farmers of the BTC area for agricultural purposes made available at subsidy to the selected farmers of the BTC to boost up agricultural productivity.
During the year 2005-06, 20 nos. of tractors are distributed to the selected farmers of BTC at 60% subsidy.

(E) Purchase of Dozers : The dozers are meant for the farmers of the BTC area for agricultural purposes at a nominal rate of hire maintained and operated by the department through the existing staff of the department. Four nos. of JCBs are purchased, one for each district.
Till that an amount of Rs. 2,44,300 is realized as hire charge from the farmers of BTC.

(F) Community Irrigation Project : The project aims at practicing agriculture in improved way through proper package and irrigation by Pump Sets through the involvement of farming community in the BTC in a compact and contiguous agricultural area.
From the budget of 2005-06, 104 nos. of Pump Sets have been proposed to distribute to one group of farming community in the district of Kokrajhar and Udalguri under BTC area.

(G) Construction of Agricultural Guest House at Kokrajhar and Chirang : The guest houses are constructed to house the visiting departmental officers and staff of the BTC area and other dignitaries visiting the BTC. Photo shows the fascinating Agricultural Guest House constructed at Kokrajhar.