A Big crowd thronged at the Orange Fair held at Gandhi Maidan, Boko , organized by the Directorate of Horticulture and Food Processing, Assam, in collaboration with the Kamrup District Agricultural Office, with a daylong programme. In this connection, orange and vegetable exhibition, competitions, horticultural training, horticultural quiz etc. were organized for the benefits of the farmers. The Orange and Vegetable Exhibition and Competition were inaugurated by Pradip Kumar Choudhuri, District Agricultural Officer, Kamrup, where large nos. of farmers took part with great enthusiasms. Noted horticultural scientist, Dr. Nalin Kumar Mohan inaugurated the training on Orange Cultivation, where Dr. Jogesh Nath, Scientist, Horticultural Research Station, Kahikushi. Dr. Kabindra Borkakoty, Director, Agriculture, Assam also took part in the programme and interacted with the farmers. Khagendra Sarma, Senior Agricultural Development Officer has conducted an Orange Quiz in the Fair, where farmers enjoying the programme with active participation. In his speech,as Chief Guest, Nilamani Sen Deka, Agriculture, Horticulture and Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Assam has highlighted the different achievements of Agri-Horti Sector of Assam and appealed the young generation to come forward to take modern farming as their livelihood. He distributed several horticultural implements to the farmers groups under National Vegetable Initiative for Urban Cluster and 8 nos. of tractors to the selected farmers groups. He also awarded several prize winning ‘orange and vegetable/other fruits growers’ in the function. S. K. Ray, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup also grace the occasion as an invited guest and express his satisfaction on the recent developments in the Agri- Horti Sector in the Kamrup District. Nirud Sarma, Deputy Director (Horticulture); Pradip Kumar Choudhury, District Agricultural Officer, Kamrup; Nilamani Sarma, Executive Engineer( Agriculture ), Kamrup; Dr. Dhirendra Nath Kalita, Programme Coordinator, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kamrup; Homeswar Kalita, SDAO, Boko; Kailash Barman, SDAO, Guwahati, Nabab Imdad Ali Ahmed, District Nodal Officer( Horticulture) etc. also participated in the open session as Special Guest. A Rabha Dance and a Bodo Dance were also performed by the local artists to mark the occasion.
It may be mention that, 138484 MT of Orange produces in Assam from an area of 7373 Ha. The productivity of Orange in the State is 18783 Kg/Ha. It is estimated that, Assam has 83090 MT of Orange as Marketable surplus. Recently, the Directorate of Horticulture and Food Processing, Assam has introduces two new Orange varieties in Assam, namely, Red Lady and Taiwan. Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Barpeta, Sonitpur, Nagaon, Tinsukia, Chirang, Karbi Anglong , Dima Hasao etc. are the major Orange growing districts of Assam.
