The Agriculture Minister of Mizoram Pu C.Lalrinsanga on Friday (31^st January, 2020) flagged off 40 metric tonnes of ginger harvested by the Lunglei  Organic Ginger Producer Society under the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCD-NER) Scheme at Haulawng village, in Lunglei District.

Speaking at the Flag off Ceremony, the Minister took the opportunity to congratulate the farmers and Agriculture Department officials for a successful initial implementation of the MOVCD-NER Scheme. Speaking about initiatives under the Agriculture Department, the Minister stressed on the need for Mizoram farmers to adopt environment friendly farming practices, stating that indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has led to an increase in incidence of cancer and other diseases, through the toxic residues present in the grains and other edible parts of plants. Plans are underway to convert the state to Organic Farming, with Bio Fertilizer Production Laboratories and Biocontrol Pesticide Laboratories to be set up in different parts of the state, he stated, adding that funds for the same has already been approved at the CM level. 

Lunglei  Organic Ginger Producer Society has been working under the Central Government’s MOVCD-NER Scheme since 2017and has under it 646 farmer families from 13 villages pursuing organic farming on 679 hectares of land. During the Financial year 2018-19, the Society harvested 400 tonnes of ginger valued at Rs. 150 lakhs in the local market. 

Under the Central Government’s MOVCD-NER Scheme, Mizoram has 14 farmer producer companies with 14,104 farmers working on 13,000 hectares of land.