• General Scenario and Current Trend : Total geographic area of the state is 78.44 lakh ha and Net Cropped Area is 27.53 lakh ha (35%). Only 44% of the Net Cropped Area is under double cropping. 5.40 lakh ha is under horticulture cultivation. About 65% of Net Cropped Area is rice fallow and cultivable waste.

    22% of the net cropped area is irrigated and average annual rainfall is 2370.5 mm. There are 37.31 lakh cultivators and 12.64 lakh agricultural labors. 22.60 lakh small and marginal farmers constitute 83.24% of the total holdings.

    During Kharif, chemical fertilizer consumption is 38.76 kg/ha and during Rabi it is 97.29 kg/ha. The soil is mostly acidic in nature.

    Though SRR has been achieved in paddy, urad, moong (Kharif) and wheat and lentil (Rabi), SRR in maize, til and niger (Kharif) and rapeseed/mustard (Rabi) is below average. VRR is yet to be achieved in paddy, urd, moong, arhar, rapeseeds/mustard and wheat. Seed production within the state should further increase but productivity of major crops and horticulture plants is much below the national average.

    Productivity of autumn rice is 896 kg/ha, winter rice 1482 kg/ha, summer rice 1965 kg/ha, wheat 1117 kg/ha, maize 737 kg/ha, pulses 553 kg/ha, oilseeds 512 kg/ha, jute 1409 kg/ha, sugarcane 30320 kg/ha and spices 2478 kg/ha.

    An area of 1.94 lakh ha is under fruit cultivation and productivity of fruits is 11.5 MT/ha. An area of 3.28 lakh ha is under vegetable cultivation having productivity of 13.6 MT/ha. 1.5% of total plantation crops in the country come from the state. 2.6% of banana, 2.2% of citrus fruit, 6.2% of oranges, 8.1% of litchi, 4% of papaya, 16.1% of pineapple production in the country is from Assam.


Agriculture and allied sector contributed about 25% to the GSDP.

  • Strength: Variety of flora and fauna, abundant water resource. Large ravine tracks (chhar) with high productivity, large work force, captive regional market, suitable climate for majority of horticulture crops, organic cultivation by default.

  • Limitation:  Low per capita holding, poor soil health, inadequate availability of quality inputs, low level of farm mechanization, lack of irrigation facility, lack of post harvest, processing and marketing facilities, dependence on seeds from outside, inadequate farm credit availability, high cost of infrastructure maintenance due to regular occurrence of floods.



  • Public Investment :The state has made a few interventions in agricultural sector to increase production and productivity in the recent years through Centrally Sponsored Schemes as well as through satisfactory allocation under State Plan. During 2005-06 out of Rs.2232.58 cr State Plan, agricultural sector share was Rs.146.61 cr (6.57%), during 2006-07 Rs.158.06 cr (5.73%), during 2007-08, Rs.222.71 cr (5.86%) and during 2008-09 Rs.428.98 cr (8.81%) out of Rs.4869.16 cr State Plan.

    Government of India provided Rs.15.94 cr under MMA Rs.11.39 cr under NFSM during 2007-08.

    In 2008-09, Rs.27.06 cr under NFSM Rs.144.12 cr under RKVY, Rs.2.00 cr under ATMA & Rs.8.12 cr under MMA was provided by State. More funds under various schemes could have been released to the state but for low utilization of funds as well as due to non-availability of UCs.

    Agriculture and allied sector intervention of the state received approximately Rs.300 cr from GOI in last two years of the 11th Plan Period.












STATE HAS AGREED TO PREPARE TIME BOUND ACTION PLAN FOR THE STRATEGY AND RECOMMENDATION...