364/2022-2023

Haulawng the 15th March, 2023 – In a historic milestone for the farming community of Mizoram, the State Agriculture Minister Pu C. Lalrinsanga yesterday flagged off 7.5 tonnes of Bird’s Eye Chilli harvested by farmers from Lunglei, Siaha and Lawngtlai Districts in southern Mizoram. The shipment will be transported to Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh from where it will be sent to Nevada, USA. This is part of an initiative under the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCD-NER) implemented by International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA) and Mission Organic Mizoram (MOM), Department of Agriculture.

Speaking at the inaugural function, the Agriculture Minister congratulated the Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) for successful completion of the project, and thanked ICCOA and MOM for spearheading the project with great commitment. He commented that the success of the project highlights the potential of cooperative farming in Mizoram. He encouraged Department officials and farmers alike to continue to focus on organic agriculture so that more and more products of Mizoram can be exported abroad at higher rates.

Manoj Menon, Executive Director, ICCOA informed the audience that the US bound consignment had undergone stringent quality tests, both in India and the US, and has been cleared under the Organic Standards Protocol, and thus commands a high rate in the international market. He added that efforts are currently underway in Mizoram to produce ginger and turmeric for export.