By Mayukh Goswami

Mangaldai :  “It is better to light a candle than to blame the darkness”-with this motto a total of seventy five young prospective agro entrepreneurs  including house wives and girls of Darrang district have taken pledge to get themselves self employed through scientific Agro- horticulture production and also create employment for other job seekers. This group of educated unemployed youths  have taken the decision on a historic day on Wednesday when a worthy son of Assam Justice Ranjan Gogoi has taken over as the Chief Justice of

Supreme Court of India.  Taking up a unique initiative besides their day to day activities, the members of Mangaldai Media Circle- an organization of the media persons at Mangaldai with the support from the District Administration and the District Agriculture Department  organized a day long workshop on motivating local youths towards the high future potentiality of  scientific Horticulture production. As a part of this workshop in the afternoon  all the trainee  participants were taken for a field study trip to the organic cultivation of a young promising organic farmer  Habib Rahman of village Bihudiya near Kharupetia.

In the  technical session held at the Youth Club Mangaldai auditorium  Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer Iftekhar Ahmed Nuri and Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer (agri Information) Dr. Uddhab Chandra Deka  as the resource persons explained about the basic techniques of scientific Horticulture and its high market prospects . Earlier the day long workshop was ceremonially inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner , Darrang Ashok Kumar Barman in presence of District Agriculture Officer Nila Kanta Deka , retired Additional Director of the State Industries and Commerce Department Prafulla Kumar Saikia and senior journalist Bhargab Kumar Das among others.

Expressing his gratitude to  the young participants for being interested to become self employment through agriculture , Deputy Commissioner Barman said, “It is a matter of great delight to see the participation of a large number of youths including housewives and this is definitely a humble beginning of a new venture” .  Citing several examples of successful entrepreneurs of the State in the field of integrated agriculture including Amal Medhi of Nalbari , Navanita Bora of Jorhat , Dhruba Saikia and Habibur Rahman both from Darrang he highlighted the soil quality of Darrang and neighboring Udalguri suitable all kinds of horticulture products especially for the citrus fruits like the lemon , lime , orange etc . He also assured full support from the district administration and the agriculture department and at the same time he observed that  the entrepreneurs should not  to get disappointed approaching the banks for help rather develop  oneself to such a height of success so that banks itself compelled to approach his or her . “ The soil quality of Darrang and Udalguri very high and it is best for production of citrus fruits. The administration and the agriculture department are always with you to support but don’t go to the bank for help at the beginning . You will be frustrated . Make sure that banks themselves will have to come to you for support.”