|
Agriculture
 Agriculture
is the main occupation of the people and along with the allied occupations
it accounts for 63 percent of the states work force. Rice is the
staple diet of the people and cultivation of rice is the main occupation
of those engaged in agriculture. Different pulses, jute, tea and fruit
cultivation are the other agricultural crops. Sugarcane, potatoes, cotton,
oil seeds, coconut and arecanut cultivation is also practiced on a substantial
scale apart from the horticulture. But 67 percent of the gross cropped
area is taken up by rice cultivation, of this about 67 percent again is
taken up for the cultivation of Sali paddy on about 16-17 lakh hectares
of land. Both the centre and the state are engaged in giving agriculture
a big thrust and a second green revolution is to be brought about in the
north east. Jhum cultivation or shifting cultivation, under which the
tribal farmers burn selected areas of forest land and use it for cultivation
in a cyclic period, is a problem in Assam. Confined to its two hill districts
which are inhabited by tribal people, efforts are being constantly made
to wean the people away from this rather expensive form of cultivation.
Among fruit crops, Assam has oranges and other citrus fruit,
bananas, guavas, pineapples and mangoes. There are extensive plans to
expand the cultivation of these fruit products and market them to bring
greater benefits to the farmers. The gross cropped area in the state is
about 35 lakh hectares out of which rice cultivation alone accounts for
26 lakhs. Forests are an important part of Assam's economy. Timber is
a major product of the states extensive forests and bamboo is another
product, bringing Assam substantial revenue and adding to its wealth.
Assam is rightly known for its excellent tea which is one of the major
cash crops . About 15 percent of the world's total output of tea comes
from the tea gardens of Assam, which provide employment to more than a
million people. More than half of that in direct form in the tea gardens
and factories turning green leaves into dry tea for home and hotel consumption.
Tea cultivation occupies a little less than a tenth of the cultivated
area of Assam and 75 percent of the tea gardens are located in the Brahmaputra
districts of Darrang, Sibsagar and Lakhimpur. Cachar district accounts
for 20 percent of the balance and the remaining 5 percent being accounted
by the lower Brahmaputra valley. Guwahati centre in Assam has
become the biggest centre of auction of CTC tea in the world.
Top
Industry
It is an important producer of silk of different kinds
and known for weaving of silk products into saris and fabrics. Production
of tusser and other
silks and weaving of fabrics is an important occupation for a number of
people. Other types of industries are food products, wood and wood products,
chemicals and chemical products, non-metallic mineral products. Tea and
oil are of prime importance to Assam's economy and also plays a significant
role in the economy and life of the state. At Digboy on the border with
Burma, Assam has the oldest Indian oil venture and one of the oldest in
the world.
Top
Mining
In Assam, mining is at present concentrated mainly
to four industrial minerals, namely, coal, oil and gas, limestone and
sillimanite. The history of coal mining in Assam goes back to the year
1834 when extraction of this mineral on a small scale was being carried
out at Cherapunji in upper Assam. Coal was first mined in 1840 near Jaipur
by the Assam Tea Co. But the most important phase in the development of
the coal mining industry in Assam was the incorporation of the Assam Railway
and Trading Co. in 1882 for the exploitation of the upper Assam coal.
The most important coal mines in Assam are situated in the Ledo and Jaipur
areas of upper Assam. In the Mikir hills, two small collieries
exist -one at Koilajan and other at Seelbhata. The coal mining activity
in the Khasi hills is mostly concentrated around the Laitryngew area.
In addition to these small collieries, three mines exist in the Khasi
hills. Messrs Thanginath colliery and the Mawsynram colliery are important
among them. A small coal mine has been developed at Nangwalbibra in the
west Darranggiri Coalfield in the Garo hills under the auspices of the
ASMDC, a state government under taking. Petroleum mining is an outstanding
feature of Assami's industrial landscape. Its exploration and development
in the state are carried out by the oil and natural gas commission, Oil
India Limited and Assam oil company. The discovery of the first oilfield,
the Digboy field, goes back to the year 1889. The outstanding work
of the BOC in upper Assam has culminated in the discovery of the Nakarkatiya
(1953)and Moran (1950) fields which are now developed by the OIL company.
Limestone mining in Assam is confined to surface quarrying. Regular mining
activities have been started since 1938 in Therriaghat area in Khasi Hills.
Sillimanite has been known to occur at Sonapahar since 1922. In addition
to these major minerals , minor minerals such as gravel, sand, building
stone and ballast are produced at present at various places in the state.
Top
|
