New Delhi, May 13
The Union Minister for Development of the North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, on Wednesday launched the Mizoram Ginger Mission, a Rs 189.79 crore convergence-led initiative for ginger cultivation and value chain development in the state.
The Union Minister highlighted that while Geographical Indication-certified Mizo Ginger contains 6-8 per cent oleoresin, compared with the global average of around 3 per cent, farmers today receive only Rs 8-15 per kilogram, even as the value chain reaches over Rs 500 per kilogram in international markets.
Calling for a decisive effort to "disintermediate the intermediary" and strengthen cooperative and Farmer Producer Organisation structures, he positioned the Rs 190 crore initiative as the "Mizo Ginger Movement", anchored on four strategic pillars: Convergence, Value Addition, Branding, and Market Integration.
He underscored PM Modi's commitment to ensuring that farmers become true stakeholders in the entire agricultural value chain "from farm to fork".
The minister emphasised that the objective is not merely crop cultivation, but enabling farmers to participate meaningfully in processing, branding, packaging, export-led value addition, and global market integration.
The Minister highlighted that the Mission will deliver one integrated processing hub and three spoke centres, over 30 strategic interventions, and the integration of nearly 20,000 farming households into a unified value-chain ecosystem built on traceability, distinctiveness, quality assurance, and farmer-led value creation.
He outlined a clear global vision for Mizo Ginger, with targeted entry into South-East Asian, Middle Eastern, and European markets, and said success would be realized when Mizo Ginger is available on global shelves, traceable to individual farmers, and delivering direct economic benefits to them.
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma expressed deep appreciation to the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region for conceptualising and anchoring the Ginger Mission, which marks a defining moment in the state's agricultural and economic journey.
He noted that the Mission rightly recognises Mizoram's unique strength in pharma-grade ginger and converts it into a structured pathway for farmer prosperity, value addition, and global market integration.
The state government is fully committed to ensuring time-bound execution on the ground, he added.
Anchored by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, the mission builds upon convergence with schemes of the Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development, and Food Processing Industries, along with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, and private investors for the processing of ginger.
Situating the Mission within the larger vision of "Brand North East", with one Unique Selling Proposition for each state, such as Sikkim as an organic state, kiwi of Arunachal Pradesh, Queen Pineapple of Tripura, coffee of Nagaland, and Lakadong turmeric from Meghalaya, the Minister assured farmers that the government stands "side by side" with them.
The mission is expected to deliver a six-fold increase in farmer value realisation, a sharp reduction in post-harvest losses, international branding of Mizo Ginger, sustainable rural livelihoods, and a robust export and processing ecosystem for the region.
- IANS
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