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HomePosts Tagged "ASSAM"
AgroPolicy, Allied Industry, Collaborations, R&D, Schemes - Govt, Sustainability, Sustainable Energy

In a significant push for rural development, the Cabinet also sanctioned 94 projects in the Soil Conservation and Agriculture sectors, with an investment of Rs 70.3332 crore

In a historic step to promote environmental sustainability and rural development, the Assam Cabinet approved the state’s Agroforestry Policy 2024. This strategy establishes a framework for boosting forest cover, reducing the effects of climate change, enhancing the rural economy, and raising farmer incomes.

The Cabinet emphasized that a holistic approach to agroforestry will be ensured under the new policy. The statement said, “This decision will bolster the rural economy and farmers’ incomes, mitigate the effects of climate change, increase the area under Trees Outside Forest, and ensure a dedicated state policy on agriculture.” Strengthening the State Agroforestry Board and creating a trustworthy Quality Planting Material (QPM) supply chain are two of the policy’s main efforts. It also places a strong emphasis on incorporating tree agriculture into current farming methods, making it easier for smallholder farmers to obtain insurance and finance, and encouraging the use of wastelands and underutilized land for tree cultivation.

The Cabinet also approved 94 projects with an investment of Rs 70.3332 crore in the agriculture and soil conservation sectors, marking a major push for rural development. The projects consist of 34 solar shallow tubewell minor irrigation facilities and 64 soil conservation initiatives. The state’s dedication to rural development is shown in these initiatives, which aim to enhance water management and boost sustainable agriculture.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development’s (NABARD) Rural Infrastructure Development Fund will provide the money for these projects, guaranteeing sustained advantages for the rural sector. The goal of the policy is to address Assam’s pressing agricultural issues by coordinating irrigation and soil conservation initiatives.

The Cabinet meeting also discussed changes to the State GST Act that would make it easier to do business in the state and streamline tax procedures. It is anticipated that these actions will improve Assam’s business climate, which will further accelerate economic development and growth.

In order to build a sustainable and prosperous future, the Assam government is actively promoting environmental preservation, agricultural expansion, and rural development through these strategic choices.

In a significant push for rural development,

AgroPolicy, Biofertilizers, India

FSSAI is extending financial assistance to Assam for the upgrading of laboratories dedicated to pesticide testing

In a significant move towards ensuring the safety and quality of tea production, G Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), addressed a gathering of Tea Growers and Tea Planters during an interactive session in Kellyden, Assam. The event saw active participation from key stakeholders including officials from FSSAI, the Tea Board, the Tea Research Institute, tea planters, tea processors, industry associations and the Food and Drug Department of the State.

The focal point of the discussion was enhancing traceability and testing measures for raw materials, emphasising the need for screening every batch for pesticide residues and adherence to Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) of pesticide usage as prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards Regulations of 2011 (FSSR). Rao emphasised the importance of adopting bio-pesticides and encouraged collaboration with the Tea Board for joint inspection, sampling and testing processes.

During the session, the Tea Board stressed the significance of awareness campaigns among planters to educate them about the maintenance of a harvesting gap to ensure safe agricultural practices. Planters raised concerns about the use of unauthorised pesticides in tea cultivation and urged the State Government to impose a ban on such substances. Processors advocated for the provision of rapid testing kits at the farm gate level to streamline pesticide testing. Scientific Panel members engaged in detailed deliberations on specific pesticides, monitoring procedures and the prevention of off-label use.

Notably, FSSAI is extending financial assistance to Assam for the upgrading of laboratories dedicated to pesticide testing. The need for regular interaction with all stakeholders and the formulation of a time-bound action plan to guarantee the availability of safe tea to consumers was also stressed during the meeting.

FSSAI is extending financial assistance to Assam

Logistics, Supply Chain, Warehousing

Operations commenced at its newly acquired warehouse in Guwahati, Assam, featuring advanced ‘multi-temperature control’ capabilities

Snowman Logistics Limited, a leading cold chain and integrated temperature-controlled logistics service provider in India has initiated operations at a newly leased multi-temperature-controlled warehouse in Guwahati, Assam. The total capacity of the warehouse is 5,152 pallets and this facility features eight chambers and four loading bays, equipped with the latest infrastructure. Specifically designed to accommodate products from ambient temperatures to minus 25 degrees Celsius, the warehouse will primarily focus on providing storage, handling and transportation services for ice cream, poultry, ready-to-eat food, dairy products, confectionery, bakery products, seafood, fruits and vegetables. Other products include pharmaceuticals, specialised chemicals and various commodities.

Sunil Nair, CEO, of Snowman Logistics said “The inauguration of our latest facility in Guwahati signifies a momentous achievement for Snowman Logistics. This establishment marks our initial venture into a fully leased cold storage facility, aligning with our strategic move towards becoming asset-light. With this expansion, our overall pallet capacity has soared to an impressive 1,41,000+ pallets, strategically distributed across 20 cities, thereby expanding our foothold in Northeast India.

Snowman Logistics has garnered extensive expertise in the storage, handling, and transportation of diverse products, spanning the food, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and specialized chemicals sectors. Our commitment to innovation is evident through the incorporation of technology-enabled facilities and platforms. This, coupled with our unwavering dedication, allows us to consistently provide tailor-made solutions that cater to the dynamic needs of the industries we serve.

Operations commenced at its newly acquired warehouse

Acquaculture, Agro Universities, R&D

The sensor has been tested for adulterated fish at lab scale as well on fish available in the fish markets of the Guwahati region.

Nanomaterials and Nanoelectronics Laboratory, headed by Dr Hemen Kr. Kalita, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Guwahati University, Assam has developed a cost-effective formalin sensor using tin oxide-reduced graphene oxide composite that can effectively detect the presence of formalin in adulterated fishes.

A new low-cost sensor made of metal oxide nanoparticles–reduced graphene oxide composite can detect formalin adulteration in fishes at room temperature in a non-invasive way. The sensor shows long-term stability with a low detection limit.

Food adulteration is the practice of adding illegal or harmful substances to food to make it appear more appealing or to increase its shelf life. Formaldehyde is a colourless, pungent gas that is used in a variety of industrial processes, including as a preservative in some foods, commonly in fish in developing countries. However, the use of formaldehyde in food is illegal in many countries, as it is a known carcinogen.

Commercial formalin sensors for fish are primarily electrochemical-based or colorimetric-based. Electrochemical sensors are extensively used but are expensive. On the other hand, calorimetric sensors are less expensive. But both methods are invasive. Moreover, low-level detection and selective detection are two major issues with these sensors. The development of 2D materials-based gas sensors has created a new avenue of effective detection of toxic vapours at room temperature. These sensors have the potential to detect the formalin evaporated from adulterated food products.

Graphene oxide (GO), the oxidized form of graphene, exhibits high solution processability and ease of chemical modification with other materials such as metals, metal oxides, or polymers. However, the low electrical conductivity of GO posed a challenge and the scientists overcame this by developing the tin oxide-reduced graphene oxide composite (rGO- SnO2).

While reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been used to detect various toxic gases and VOCs, tin oxide (SnO2) has been extensively investigated for formaldehyde detection in pristine form and by incorporating it with various compounds, including graphene, due to its high stability and high sensitivity toward low concentrations of formaldehyde.

The researchers synthesised graphene oxide (GO) through a process called the wet chemical approach and tin oxide-reduced graphene oxide composite (rGO- SnO2) was synthesised by hydrothermal route followed by calcination of the obtained product. They found that the sensor made of tin oxide decorated reduced graphene oxide effectively sensed formaldehyde vapour at room temperature.

The sensor has been tested for adulterated

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India

At the heart of the partnership is Assam’s goal of boosting the cultivation, production and consumption of three native millet crops: Finger millet (Maruadhan), Foxtail millet (Kauni Dhan), and Proso millet (Cheena Bajra)

The International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Government of Assam, India, have joined forces to advance climate-resilient and nutritionally enhanced food systems through the Assam Millet Mission.

At the heart of the partnership is Assam’s goal of boosting the cultivation, production and consumption of three native millet crops: Finger millet (Maruadhan), Foxtail millet (Kauni Dhan), and Proso millet (Cheena Bajra). 

Presently, millets are only cultivated across 6,000 hectares of land in 15 districts of Assam, including Nagaon, Bongaigaon, and Dhubri, contributing 97 per cent of the State’s millet production. 

Given Assam’s vulnerability to floods and its ancient preference for rice over millets, there’s a growing imperative to transition toward diversified agriculture that incorporates resilient and nutritious millets.

Dr Jacqueline Hughes, Director General of ICRISAT lauded the partnership and hailed the Millet Mission as pioneering, particularly considering the region’s limited history of millet consumption.

“As the world’s largest millet producer and a driving force behind the International Year of Millets 2023, India stands at the forefront of the resurgence of millets.  

“ICRISAT is delighted to contribute its deep expertise in millet research to complement Assam’s visionary approach and ambitious millet value chain targets,” said Dr Hughes.

At the heart of the partnership is

AgroPolicy, India, R&D, Vegetables

The department has set a target of producing 50,000 seeds of potato from the hi-tech greenhouse set up at the Nagicherra Agricultural Research Centre

The Horticulture Department of Tripura has adopted a new method of using apical-rooted cuttings to produce quality seeds for potato cultivation, according to the local news. In the northeastern state, the farmers usually import potato seeds from outside the state and are facing challenges due to poor productivity and pest infection.

To address the perennial problem in potato cultivation, the horticulture department has set up a hi-tech greenhouse to produce quality seeds by adopting apical rooted cutting, which has already become popular in Assam and Meghalaya.

Initially, the department has set a target of producing 50,000 seeds of potato from the hi-tech greenhouse set up at Nagicherra Agricultural Research Centre, 17 km from the state capital. The department has already roped in the International Potato Centre (CIP) in Peru. Apical cuttings are rooted transplants produced in a greenhouse from tissue culture plantlets.

Rather than allowing tissue culture plantlets to mature and produce mini tubers, cuttings are produced from the plantlets. Once rooted, the cuttings are transplanted into the field to produce seed tubers. Ghosh said the seeds will be distributed among the farmers to grow potatoes in their farmlands.

The department has set a target of

AgroPolicy, Biofuel industry, India

Additionally, Rs 6000 crore can be saved annually by blending 20 per cent DME

Methanol is a low-carbon, hydrogen carrier fuel produced from high ash coal, agricultural residue, CO2 from thermal power plants and natural gas. It is the best pathway for meeting India’s commitment to COP 21.

NITI Aayog’s ‘Methanol Economy’ programme is aimed at reducing India’s oil import bill, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and converting coal reserves and municipal solid waste into methanol. 

Although slightly lower in energy content than petrol and diesel, methanol can replace both these fuels in the transport sector (road, rail and marine), energy sector (comprising DG sets, boilers, process heating modules, tractors and commercial vehicles) and retail cooking (replacing LPG [partially], kerosene and wood charcoal). The blending of 15 per cent methanol in gasoline can result in at least a 15 per cent reduction in the import of gasoline/crude oil. In addition, this would bring down GHG emissions by 20 per cent in terms of particulate matter, NOx, and SOx, thereby improving the urban air quality.

The methanol Economy will also create close to 5 million jobs through methanol production/application and distribution services. Additionally, Rs 6000 crore can be saved annually by blending 20 per cent DME (Di-methyl Ether, a derivative of methanol) in LPG. This will help the consumer in saving between Rs 50-100 per cylinder.

The Bureau of Indian Standards has notified 20 per cent DME blending with LPG, and a notification for M-15, M-85 and M-100 blends has been issued by the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways. Test standards and plans for the M-15 blend are being evolved in consultation with the Indian Oil Corporation Limited, the Automotive Research Association of India and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. In the railway sector, RDSO is working towards blending methanol in the range of 5-20 per cent through direct fuel injection in locomotives.

On 5 October 2018, Assam Petrochemicals launched Asia’s first canister-based methanol cooking fuel programme. This initiative is an extension of our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of reducing the import of crude oil and striving towards the provision of a clean, cost-effective and pollution-free cooking medium. Methanol stoves can result in at least 20% savings for households. After the success of the pilot, the methanol cooking programme was scaled up to 1,00,000 households in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Manipur.

Five methanol plants based on high ash coal, five DME plants, and one natural gas-based methanol production plant with a capacity of 20 MMT/annum, in a joint venture with Israel, have been planned to be set up. Three boats and seven cargo vessels are being built by the Cochin Shipyard Limited for the Inland Waterways Authority of India to use methanol as a marine fuel.

Thermax Ltd has successfully developed a 5 KW methanol-based reformer on a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC). This module is being tested to replace DG sets in mobile towers. For direct electricity generation, Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd has converted a 5 KW generator set to run on 100% methanol. Kirloskar is working towards converting generator sets of 150-300 KVA/KW capacity, in collaboration with Dor Chemicals, Israel.

Under R&D, work is in progress to set up coal-to-methanol plants in the country using indigenous technology, which is being developed by BHEL (Hyderabad and Trichy), Thermax, and IIT Delhi. Thermax and IIT Delhi are working on a TPD demonstration plant, while BHEL Hyderabad and Trichy are working on 1 TPD and 40 TPD demonstration plants, respectively. 

An R&D project has also been sanctioned by the Department of Biotechnology to IISc Bengaluru and Praj Industries Pune for the production of methanol from biomass. Phase-I of the production of syngas from biomass was demonstrated in January 2019.

Additionally, Rs 6000 crore can be saved

AgroPolicy, India, Oilseeds, Schemes - Govt

State Governments along with Oil Palm processing companies are participating in Mega Plantation Drive for Oil Palm Cultivation to cover an area of roughly 7750 hectares

To increase the oil palm production area to 10 lakh hectares and boost the Crude Palm Oil production to 11.20 lakh tonnes by 2025-26, the Government of India launched National Mission for Edible Oils- Oil Palm in August 2021. In addition to the marked growth in the production of edible oils, the Mission is also successfully leading India towards an ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ by reducing the import burden. Under the Mission, the State Governments along with Oil Palm processing companies have initiated a Mega Oil Palm Plantation drive from 25th July 2023 to further increase oil palm cultivation in the country. Three major oil palm processing companies, namely, Patanjali Food Pvt. Ltd., Godrej Agrovet, and 3F are actively promoting and participating with the farmers in their respective states for record area expansion.

The Mega plantation drive commenced on 25th July 2023 and will continue till 12th August 2023. The major oil palm growing states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Goa, Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh will be participating in this initiative.

The drive started on the 25th of July 2023 in the Rest of India (RoI) states i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamilnadu, Odisha, Goa and Karnataka, and will continue till the 08th of August and will cover an area of almost 7000 hectares area out of which more than 6500 hectares is targeted to be covered by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

State Governments along with Oil Palm processing

Company News, India, Oilseeds, Sustainability

The initiative aims to uplift farming communities and contribute to India’s self-reliance on edible oils

3F Oil Palm in association with the Assam government, recently organised a ceremonial plantation of Oil Palm under the National Mission on Edible Oil – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) at Bokanala in Assam’s Lakhimpur district. State Agriculture Department and 3F Oil Palm mark the first Oil Palm Plantation under the NMEO-OP in Assam. 

“The initiative aims to uplift farming communities and contribute to India’s self-reliance on edible oils. It emphasises the government’s commitment to the development and progress of the Oil Palm Plantation sector,” according to the official statement. 

The ceremony is being hosted by 3F Oil Palm, a leading player in the Oil Palm industry that has already established a state-of-the-art oil palm nursery at Bokulbari village in Lakhimpur district and another nursery in the pipeline at Chirang. 

In recognition of their commitment towards the Oil Palm development and processing industry, 3F Oil Palm has already signed an MOU with the Assam government in December 2022 and aims to develop Oil Palm plantations and processing facilities in sub-zone 1-b and V-a, encompassing Lakhimpur and Chirang districts, as part of the NMEO-OP, the statement added.

Sanjay Goenka, Managing Director and CEO of 3F Oil Palm said, “The ceremonial plantation of Oil Palm under the NMEO-OP is a significant step towards the development of the Oil Palm industry in the state of Assam. It gives me immense pride to note that upon signing the MoU with the government in December 2022, we are the first company to have commenced our investment and set up a state-of-the-art nursery and commence plantation activities through this ceremonial plantation. 

“We are committed to contributing to the progress of this sector in Assam and we aim to cover over 20,000 Ha of the area under Oil Palm over the next 5 years”

3F Oil Palm has ambitious plans to develop 23,500 hectares of Oil Palm plantations over the next five years, the statement added. The company already has an upcoming greenfield integrated Oil Palm processing unit in Arunachal Pradesh. 

The initiative aims to uplift farming communities

AgroPolicy, Finance, Microfinance, Sustainability

With a corpus of INR 250 crore, AAIF is a unique sector-specific fund that will mainly invest in small and medium enterprises in Assam

Caspian Impact Investment AdviserPvt. Ltd. (Caspian Equity) signed an MoU with Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services (ARIAS) Society, an autonomous body under the Government of Assam. Under the partnership, ARIAS will be the anchor investor for the Assam Agribusiness Investment Fund (AAIF), which will be managed by CaspianEquity as the fund manager. With anchor funding from the World Bank through Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services (ARIAS) Society, AAIF will operate as a Category II Alternative Investment Fund registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

The Assam Agribusiness Investment Fund (AAIF) is planned with a corpus of INR 250 crore and aims to strengthen the rural ecosystem, foster agricultural productivity, and increase employment opportunities in the state through risk capital investments in SMEs.

With a corpus of INR 250 crore, AAIF is a unique sector-specific fund that will mainly invest in small and medium enterprises in Assam, India. The fund will support high-growth and high-impact agribusiness SMEs for vibrant and resilient agribusiness/agri-food value chains in Assam

With a corpus of INR 250 crore,

Agrotech, Company News, India, People, Sustainability

The new program, MANDI, aims to benefit 50,000 farmers by end of 2023

Mastercard and ACCESS Development Services announced the launch of a new program in Assam focused on empowering farmer-producer organisations (FPOs) in the state. The program, Mainstreaming Agriculture through Networks and Development Initiatives, or MANDI, aims to strengthen FPOs by helping build their capacity through structured technical assistance by a professional cadre of trainers.

According to the ACCESS baseline survey of FPOs in Guwahati, 95 per cent of organisations cited access to markets as their key challenge along with a lack of financial services and the awareness and knowledge to avail of government schemes.

Mastercard and ACCESS are aiming to help address these challenges by facilitating training frameworks, curricula, and tools for FPOs. The program will focus on accelerating growth and development among FPOs and enhancing the financial literacy among farmers by Training them in best agricultural practices, Improving their access to market linkages, and digital tools, Generating awareness about financial services along with the available government schemes
The program has been operational on a pilot basis in Assam for the last six months and has been able to onboard 83 FPOs to date. As it continues, MANDI aims to benefit 50,000 farmers by the end of 2023.

The launch event was attended by Sankar Das, AGM, NABARD, Dr Jayanta Sharma, Senior Scientist, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kahikuchi, Dr Lalit Sharma, Director, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, and other distinguished guests.

Vipin Sharma, CEO, ACCESS Development Services, said, “The adoption of agritech solutions has played a vital role in streamlining the supply chains and addressing diverse challenges related to market linkages and access to financial services. There is a need to strengthen FPOs through technology to ensure increased connectivity and enhanced productivity. We are thrilled to collaborate with Mastercard and facilitate the tools, curriculum, and skills to ensure long-term sustainability for FPOs.”

Gautam Aggarwal, Division President, South Asia, Mastercard, said, “FPOs face several challenges to growth due to lack of digital infrastructure and technical skills. The MANDI program aims to address these issues by establishing a sustainable model that bolsters the resilience of smallholder farmers as well as supports self-reliance for FPOs by equipping them with knowledge, digital tools, and training. This initiative advances the Government of India’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and reiterates Mastercard’s commitment to connecting more people to the digital economy, including those who earn their livelihoods from agriculture.”

The new program, MANDI, aims to benefit

Agro Universities, AgroPolicy, Climate, Environment, Foodgrains, India, Nature, People, R&D, Schemes - Banks, Sustainability

IRRI’s technical assistance to the project includes the introduction of climate-smart technologies such as MTR.

World Bank Regional Integration and Engagement in the South Asia Region (SAR) Director Cecile Fruman visited Assam to get a firsthand understanding and appreciation of IRRI’s work on the World Bank-funded Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART).

APART aims to add value and improve the resilience of selected agriculture value chains and is focused on smallholder farmers and agri-entrepreneurs from targeted districts in the state. IRRI’s technical assistance to the project includes the introduction of climate-smart technologies such as MTR.

Fruman was pleased to see the community coming together to form a Farmer Producer Company (FPC) and benefiting from the project through stronger market linkages and the introduction of new stress-tolerant rice varieties and farm-based mechanisation technologies. She met and visited the field of Usha Nath, an exemplary farmer beneficiary under IRRI-APART. Nath contributes extensively to the family income by running her own vermicompost unit and establishing different livestock enterprises. She has adopted a fully mechanised way of farming in her field and advocates for others in her community to follow suit. Nath demonstrated the operation of a mechanical transplanter in her field and shared its benefits with Fruman and the rest of the team.

Fruman stressed the importance of community-driven development and the involvement of women farmers as key drivers of true progress.

IRRI’s technical assistance to the project includes

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, Horticulture, India, Logistics, Supply Chain, Sustainability, Transportation, Vegetables

During the current year, Railways have disbursed Rs 4 crores as a subsidy.

Indian Railways have operated around 2,359 Kisan Rail services till January 2023. Kisan railway transported approximately 7.9 lakh tonnes of agricultural goods from one state to another. The Kisan railway was launched in August 2020 from Devlali Maharashtra to Danapur Bihar.  

This information was given by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronic & Information Technology, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

The railways have operated 116 Kisan Rail services in Andhra Pradesh, 62 in Gujarat, 46 in Karnataka, 1,838 in Maharashtra, 74 in Madhya Pradesh, 15 in Punjab, 5 in Rajasthan, 76 in Uttar Pradesh, 59 in West Bengal, and 66 in Telangana. The national transporter has operated one Kisan Rail train in Assam and Tripura.

Railways have been continuing with the subsidy, at a rate of Rs45 per cent and this subsidy is applicable till 31 March 23. Up to 31 March 2022, a 50 per cent subsidy in freight was granted by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) for the transportation of fruits and vegetables by Kisan rail, which was not continued further. During 2020-21, Railways disbursed Rs27.79 crores as a subsidy which MoFPI reimbursed.  During 2021-22, Railways disbursed Rs121.86 crores as a subsidy, out of which MoFPI reimbursed only Rs50 crores.  During the current year, Railways have disbursed Rs4 crores as a subsidy.

During the current year, Railways have disbursed

Dairy, India, Live Stock

MBS will also offer specially customised financial services to dairy farmers associated with Dairy Co-operative Societies (DCS) in the dairy value chain.

Extending banking services in the rural hinterland of Assam, Manipal Business Solutions (MBS) partners with Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services Society (ARIAS) to deepen financial inclusion in the region, and the grant signing ceremony was held in Guwahati in presence of, Roshni Aparanji Korati, IAS, State Project Director, ARIAS Society.

Rural citizens are currently traveling miles to deposit a cheque or simply withdraw cash from their bank account, to address this challenge and bridge the urban-rural divide, MBS will reach the last mile and offer financial services such as savings, deposits, withdrawal, and micro pensions to farmers, landless agriculture labourers, tenant farmers, and sharecroppers in the rural regions of Assam.

Under this collaboration, MBS will enable the digitalisation of the dairy value chain in focused districts of Assam. The company will also offer specially customised financial services to dairy farmers associated with Dairy Co-operative Societies (DCS) in the dairy value chain.

MBS will work closely with the leading financial intuitions to offer tailor-made products such as cattle loans, livestock insurance, personal loans, savings and investment services, payments, etc. for dairy farmers. These financial services will be delivered through the Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS), and FPOs at the village level to reduce credit and transaction costs.

Kamaljeet Rastogi, CEO, Manipal Business Solutions said “MBS in its objective of digitising the dairy value chain will reach out to more than 1 lakh dairy farmers in Assam. Thereby aiming to digitise 1000+ Crore dairy payments annually.” 

MBS will also offer specially customised