EMERGING NON-TRADITIONAL HIGH-VALUE HORTICULTURAL CROPS CULTIVATED BY AGRIPRENEURS IN THE BODOLAND TERRITORIAL REGION OF ASSAM

Abstract

Abstract: Agriculture has been the primary occupation in India since the ancient times. The agriculture and its allied activities play a crucial role in boosting the Indian economy. Horticulture, a branch of agriculture is an important sub-part expanding over the years and contributing about 33% to the India’s GVA (Gross Value Added). All the states of India contribute significantly to the country’s economy and so is the state of Assam. Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), a significant region of Assam also contributes to the state as well the country in terms of horticultural production. The agripreneurs of BTR have started producing horticultural crops that are not native to the region that have high commercial value. These crops have high demand in the market and the farmers have benefitted highly from such production. The current study is exploratory and descriptive in nature and is based on primary data collected from 70 agripreneurs from BTR, through a structured schedule. Descriptive statistical techniques such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum values were employed for data analysis. The findings revealed that dragon fruit was the most widely cultivated emerging horticultural crop, followed by cocoa and watermelon, indicating an increasing preference for commercially viable horticultural enterprises. Among the selected crops, cocoa generated the highest average return of Rs. 4,11,990 per bigha, demonstrating the strong income potential. Mushroom cultivation also emerged as a promising enterprise with favourable market returns. The study further found that horticultural enterprises are contributing to rural employment, where agripreneurs relies mostly on temporary and seasonal skilled labour, indicating a labour-intensive nature. The study concludes that non-traditional horticultural crops possess significant potential for promoting agripreneurship, and strengthening technical support, market linkages, and post-harvest infrastructure will lead to sustainable agricultural and rural development.