As a part of its strategy to give a boost to the export of organic agricultural products of Mizoram and North Eastern Region (NER), the Centre through Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) organised Workshop-cum-Buyer Seller Meet (BSM) at Mizoram University in Aizawl.
After the BSM, a consignment of hatkora (local variety of citrus) sourced from farmers of Mamit district of Mizoram was exported to London and another consignment of hatkora is being exported to Bangladesh.
APEDA, which is the apex agricultural products export promotion organisation under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, organised the buyer-seller meet in association with Ministries of Agriculture, Commerce & Industries, Govt of Mizoram and North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC).
The BSM was organised to promote the exports of the potential agri-horti products from Mizoram and provide market linkage to farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Farmer Producer Companies from the north-eastern state.
The potential crops for the export from Mizoram are pineapple, hatkora (citrus), dragon fruit, oranges, passion fruit, squash, anthurium flower, Mizo Ginger, Mizo chilli and grape wine.
Seventeen exporters and 58 FPOs participated in the BSM while 14 exhibitors representing the state government, coffee board, spices board, NABARD and NERAMAC attended the meet.
The exclusive BSM provided an opportunity to the producers and processors of Mizoram to showcase their products and promote the exports as well as their wholesale and retail sales.The workshop-cum-buyer seller meet was inaugurated by Hon’ble Agriculture Minister Pu C Lalrinsanga of Mizoram.
With the intervention of APEDA, there is a tremendous increase in the export of agricultural produce from NE states like Sikkim, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. The NE region witnessed an 85.34 per cent growth in the export of agricultural products in the last six years as it increased from USD 2.52 million in 2016-17 to USD 17.2 million in 2021-22. The major destinations of export are Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Middle East, the UK and Europe.
To provide potential market linkages, APEDA organised field visits of importers to have first hand information about the qualitative cultivation practices being followed by farmers by inviting the importers from the neighbouring countries, the Middle East, Far Eastern countries, European nations and Australia, etc. The field visits were carried out in all eight states of NER.
APEDA, in association with the Department of Commerce and Industry, Government of Assam, organised an export promotion conference-cum-buyer seller meet at Aizawl, Mizoram in March 2021.
Besides, APEDA also organised an international BSM in Guwahati, Assam on March 10, 2022 wherein exhibitors from across the state displayed a wide range of agri-horti products, including GI products such as fresh fruits, vegetables, processed food products, black rice, red rice, joha rice, spices, tea, coffee, honey, processed meat, spices & organic products. Importers from Sri Lanka, Dubai, Bangladesh, Oman, Netherlands, Singapore and Greece participated along with exporters from NER and other states.
A national BSM was organised by APEDA in Guwahati on June 24, 2022, to promote the export of organic products grown in Assam. APEDA also signed an MoU with Assam Agriculture University, Jorhat to conduct various training programmes on pre-harvest and post-harvest management and other research activities for the promotion of export from the region. Even during the Covid-19 period, APEDA continued to push its export plans through Virtual BSM in association with the Embassy of India located in different countries with exporters and FPOs/FPCs from NER regarding the sourcing of pineapple, ginger, lemon, orange, etc. APEDA also organised Virtual Trade Fairs during the pandemic and facilitated the export to foreign countries.
APEDA has also planned to undertake several other projects like capacity building of 80 budding entrepreneurs and exporters from the region, the Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) and the state govt. officials, organise skill development and training in food processing, value addition on horticultural produce, etc.
APEDA also extended its support to NER to undertake branding and promotion of North East products such as KIWI Wine, processed foods, carrying out a wet sampling of Joha Rice Pulao, Black Rice kheer, etc.
As a part of capacity building, APEDA organised skill development programmes for manufacturers, exporters and entrepreneurs to utilise the local produce for value addition and export. Training programmes are being held in different states of the Northeast in association with the Central Food Technology Research Institute, Mysore (CFTRI) and Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT), for five days.
APEDA, in association with the Industries and Commerce Department, Govt of Assam, organised an Export Conclave on February 19, 2021, in Guwahati.
With the APEDA’s intervention, Tripura’s Jack fruit was exported to London, and Nagaland’s King Chilli to London through a local exporter for the first time. Also, Assam’s local fruit called Leteku (Burmese Grape) was exported to Dubai and Assam’s Betel leaves have been regularly exported to London.
APEDA under its Agricultural Export Policy is encouraging states to harness the potential of Agri produce exports. APEDA aims to create a platform for the buyers to get the products directly from the producer group and the processors.
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