Manipur’s Black Chakhao Rice was among several indigenous agricultural products from Northeast states that were showcased at the Mega Buyer-Seller Meet in Guwahati that witnessed the participation of over 70 sellers and 30 large buyers on Wednesday.
The Mega Buyer-Seller Meet was organised under One District One Product Initiative, in collaboration with the DoNER Ministry, with the aim to promote sustainable trade and create market linkages, the DoNER Ministry said. It said that the meet focussed on agricultural products from eight states in NE India, the Ministry said.
Over 70 sellers, traders, farmers, aggregators from various districts, each of the NE States - Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim - showcased their products at the meet in Guwahati.
The products included Manipur’s Black Chakhao Rice, Meghalaya’s Lakadong Turmeric with more than seven per cent curcumin content, the GI Tagged Large Cardamom from Sikkim and Queen Pineapple from Tripura, Orthodox Assam Tea and more. These products were showcased to over 30 large buyers representing big brands such as Reliance and ITC, as well as upcoming start-ups in India.
According to the ministry, the One District One Product show was initiated by of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Commerce and Industry Ministry with the support of Development of North East Region (DoNER) Ministry and its PSUs, North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation (NEHHDC) and the North East Regional Agriculture Marketing Corporation Limited (NERAMAC).
The ministry stated that the keynote address was delivered by Lok Ranjan, Secretary, DoNER in the presence of officials and subject matter experts from the Agricultural and Horticultural Departments of the various state governments. B Ramanjaneyulu, Director DPIIT, Manoj Kumar Das, Managing Director, NERAMAC, and Brig R K Singh, Managing Director, NEHHDC were also present.
NERAMAC which has been set up to support farmers/ producers from the North Eastern Region has been working to bridge the gap between farmers and the larger market. Thus, its role in the current Buyer-Seller Meet in collaboration with the ODOP Initiative has been critical.
Through the joint efforts, the best-in-class products from the region are being matched with big brands to improve the earning potential of farmers. Focused trade discussions were also facilitated between the buyers, sellers and the State Government representatives from all the 8 NER states. Additionally, Letters of Intent (LOI) worth Rs 6 crore were signed during the event.
