APC Y Kikheto Sema speaking at the inaugural session on Export Promotion & Marketing Development of Organic Food Products from NE at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur on March 3. (DIPR Photo)
Dimapur, March 3 (MExN): The Indian Chamber of Commerce in association with the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) organized an export promotional marketing development of organic food products from North East under the theme ‘governance for growth’ at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur on March 3.
Principal Secretary & Agriculture Production Commissioner, Y Kikheto Sema, IAS, said the region has been blessed with all Agro-climatic conditions and huge prospects of organic farming, a DIPR report stated. The NE region has a total area of 18.37 million, out of which 5.5 million Ha is so far cultivated land but organic farming covers only 3%. The NE States is unspoiled by the modern agricultural practices so the region is a choice for organic farming in the country, he added.
The APC mentioned that APEDA being the forerunner for the organic sector in the country and immense progress is being made in the past few years along with ICC.
Nagaland govt ready for modern technologies
He said the Nagaland government is ready for modern technologies i.e., Soil Testing, Bio-fertilizers, Agromet Automatic weather station; better co-ordination of Agri-allied departments taking place in the recent years; In Organic AC market at Agri Expo, within one year of post-pandemic, 235 MT ie 2.35 lakh kg of Organic products of vegetables were sold; Farmer Hostel of 120 capacity at Agri Expo will be completed at the end of this year or early part of next year; the Naturally Nagaland products outlets have been set up in Dimapur on July 9, 2021 and Kohima on November 1, 2021 where naturally Nagaland stalls will be set up in all the Metro cities; the State Government will be organizing more capacity building, exhibitions, buyer and seller's meet, Farmers’ exposure in the coming year.
He also mentioned that ginger has been one of the best and huge production in Nagaland, Spices Board of India and the Department has set a pipeline for Ginger auction in Dimapur.
The APC urged the farmers to go to the market and discover what market demand is and compare with other states too.
He also requested the farmers to mention the names in the chart list, the district/states the products are produced and them to “take advantage of all the schemes available and focus on what one can do for NE and our State.”
Need for strategic change in policies
Joint Director, ICAR Research Complex, Dr Dipjyoti Rajkhowa said that NE State have been gifted with enormous resources, fertile land, abundant water, rich bio-diversity, young and dynamic people but due to remoteness, marginality, and inaccessibility, up till now sustain resources for the economic upliftment of the people are not met. He added that there is a need for a strategic change in the policies as well as approachable activities as a concern of hilly eco-system.
The farmers are facing the challenges of doing everything manually, not being aware of marketing, storage, or packaging, he said.
Dr Dipjyoti pointed out that water harvesting technology needs to be promoted in the entire NE Region. Another concern is the certification mechanism, intervention of certification can export a large amount of production. He mentioned that awareness should be the utmost strategy that needs to be implemented among the educated youths and farmers with the right type of technology, right information. Skill development and capacity building is also another important strategy that needs to be followed so that every aspect of production and processing of agri- allied products can create marketing surplus,
Representatives of state and union Governments, FPOs, progressive farmers, Food processing Entrepreneurs Consumer organizations, organized industry buyers, experts, policymakers had a brainstorming session during the seminar cum buyer-seller meet to devise a road map for making Nagaland a unique destination for organic food products.
During the technical session, the resource persons were, Director Department of Horticulture, Dr. E. Lotha; Additional Director, Department of Agriculture, Nyenghong Phom; Joint Director, Industries & Commerce, Lipongse Thongtsar; Joint Director & HOO, MSME Di, Ministry of MSME, Tali Longchar; Sr. Field Officer, Spices Board of India, Vevotalu Rhakho; Senior Marketing Officer-in-charge(DMI), Tapash Bhattacharjee; Regional Head, Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium, Santosh Das.
