Our Correspondent
Kohima | June 30
The North eastern region namely – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim contributes 3% of India’s gross domestic products but, barely 1% of the region’s agriculture output is exported, with the lack of infrastructure for long- term storage.
This was informed at the recently concluded training programme on Development of Experts in Nagaland, held in Kohima under the aegis of the department of Industries & Commerce Nagaland in partnership with Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
It stated that the region possesses several comparative advantages viz fertile soils with high organic matter, favourable climate suitable for cultivation of a wide variety of exotic crops, rich biodiversity zones and also one of the most ethnically, linguistically and culturally diverse regions in the country, and is also rich in natural resources, covered with dense forest and received highest rainfall in the country.
The region produces huge marketable surplus in a number of perishable commodities, such as banana, pineapple, orange and tomato.
Khasi mandarins from the region contributed 3.60 lakh tons (10%) to the total 34.61 tons of the orange produces in India and Bangladesh emerged as the highest importer of Indian Khasi mandarins, importing 14210.73 MT of mandarins.
The region accounts 72.3% of the area under pineapple and 54.5% of India’s pineapple production.
Though large quantities of pineapple are produced in the region, exports from the region are minimal. Only small quantities of pineapples are exported even to the neighbouring nations of Bangladesh and Myanmar, it stated.
Ginger is also one of the key agricultural crops that is grown in almost all the states of the region. Together, the region accounts for 24.6% of the area under ginger and 24.1% of India’s ginger production.
The region produces nearly 226 thousand tons which is around 9% of India’s lemon production.
Assam is the eight largest producer of lemon in India and it leads in production, followed by Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram. Nearly 7000 MT of the India’s production is from the north east region. Nearly 70% of the Kiwi produced in the north east is wasted annually due to lack of storage and packaging facilities.
Arunachal Pradesh is one of the highest producers of Kiwi in India followed by Nagaland. Nearly 66% of the total bamboo production in the country is from the region, it stated further adding that nearly 66% of the total bamboo production in the country is from the region. Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland comprise a high density of bamboo plantations in the region.
