STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday flagged off a consignment of 123 kg of agarwood chips from Golaghat district to Dubai under the Centre's One District One Product (ODOP) initiative.
The consignment, dispatched by MJI Group, was flagged off at Lok Sewa Bhawan. The chief minister also presented cheques to three agarwood cultivators during the programme.
Sarma said Assam had approximately 12 crore agarwood trees, supporting around 50,000 farmers, and accounted for 81 per cent of the country's agarwood trees. He said the sector had significant potential to boost exports and foreign exchange earnings.
The state government was working to secure recognition for Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (LGBIA) as an authorised export hub, which would allow agarwood products to be shipped directly from Assam to international markets, Sarma said.
He added that a task force had been constituted to pursue formal recognition for agarwood cultivation, with the Agriculture, Industries and Forest departments working jointly on the initiative.
Highlighting the selection of agarwood under the ODOP initiative for Golaghat, Sarma said farmers had cultivated the product for years but had not received fair prices. He noted that MJI Group had introduced direct benefit transfers (DBT) to ensure payments reached growers.
The chief minister said the latest shipment was the second occasion on which agarwood chips had been dispatched abroad through the initiative. He expressed hope that the sector would strengthen Assam's presence in international markets and create further export opportunities.
Industries, Commerce and Public Enterprises Minister Bimal Bora, senior government officials and representatives of MJI Group attended the programme.
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