Guwahati, June 23 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that the state has made significant progress in implementing the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme, with more than Rs 1,100 crore already disbursed to farmers and agri-entrepreneurs across Assam.

Sharing the update after a meeting with Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi, Sarma said the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund emerged as a key focus area of discussions between the two leaders.

In a post on social media platform X, the Chief Minister stated that Assam continues to make rapid strides in expanding the reach of the flagship central scheme aimed at strengthening rural agricultural infrastructure and improving farmers’ access to post-harvest facilities.

“Following my meeting with Shri Shivraj ji, where AIF was a key takeaway of our discussion, I’m happy to share that we continue to make rapid progress in implementing the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and expanding its reach. More than Rs 1,100 crore has been disbursed till now,” Sarma said.

The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund was launched by the Central government in 2020 as a financing facility to support the creation of post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets. The scheme provides medium- to long-term debt financing for projects such as warehouses, cold storage units, grading and packaging facilities, primary processing centres, supply chain infrastructure, and smart agriculture projects.

Officials said the scheme has helped boost investment in the agriculture sector by enabling farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), cooperatives, agri-startups, self-help groups, and entrepreneurs to access affordable credit for infrastructure development.

Assam has been actively promoting agricultural modernisation and value-addition initiatives in recent years, with the state government encouraging the establishment of storage, processing, and marketing facilities to enhance farmers’ income and reduce post-harvest losses.

The Chief Minister’s meeting with Chouhan is also seen as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen coordination between the Centre and the state on agricultural development, rural infrastructure, and farmer welfare programmes.

The state government expects further expansion of AIF-supported projects in the coming months, particularly in rural and agrarian districts across Assam.

–IANS

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