November 24 marked an important milestone for Assam’s agriculture sector as Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, jointly inaugurated the newly established “Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence for vegetables” at Khetri in Kamrup.
Spread across 66 bighas, the centre has been developed under the Assam State Horticulture Mission in collaboration with the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project (IIAP).
Highlighting the unique features of the centre, Agriculture Minister Atul Bora posted on his social media, “This centre is a major step towards climate-resilient and technology-driven agriculture. With the goal of directly benefiting the maximum number of farmers in the state, the centre emphasizes year-round vegetable cultivation using advanced facilities and innovative farming practices that will help boost production.”
He added, “Equipped with Israel’s technical expertise, the Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence for Vegetables features soil-less farming systems, drip irrigation, solar-powered cold storage, state-of-the-art greenhouses, a modern training centre and hostel facilities for farmers. The centre has the capacity to produce four lakh high-quality vegetable seedlings in just 25 days.”
Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma described the day as a remarkable one for the State’s agriculture sector. Speaking to the media, he said, “Today, we take a significant step towards bringing world-class agricultural technology to Assam. This centre reflects the strength of Indo-Israeli cooperation and combines Israel’s cutting-edge agricultural innovations with Assam’s fertile land and hardworking farmers.”
On behalf of the Government, he also expressed gratitude to the Israel Embassy and officials of the Government of India for their continued support.
