Arunachal min calls for regional approach to NE's agri devpt

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh agriculture minister Gabriel D Wangsu on Monday emphasised the need for a regionally-specific approach to agricultural development.

"A North East-centric dialogue and way forward must be designed out of today's deliberation," he said during the High-Level Task Force meeting held virtually.

The minister presented a comprehensive strategy for agricultural and horticultural development in the NE, highlighting the region's unique social, demographic, and climatic characteristics.

Wangsu also highlighted several critical challenges facing the NE's agricultural sector, including low marketable volume, infrastructure gaps in processing and storage, weak market linkages, and technical knowledge deficits.

These factors contribute to significant post-harvest losses and limited market access for farmers, he said.

Proposing a focused approach on high-value crops such as oranges, pineapples, persimmon, kiwi, large cardamom, turmeric, ginger, Khamti rice, and buckwheat, he advocated creating specific agricultural clusters across the NE to generate substantial marketable volume.

Wangsu recommended the establishment of a NE-centric cold chain mechanism rather than state-specific approaches.

"Cold chain infrastructure cannot be a standalone or state-specific subject," he maintained.

The minister sought continued support for the Mission Organic Value Chain Development (MOVCD) for the NE Region, terming it as "one of the most successful central sector schemes" that could be a "game changer" for the future.

He, however, expressed concern about the scheme's current implementation under Krishi Unnati, which he said has resulted in lower fund utilization.

To tap international markets, Wangsu proposed creation of a NE Export Promotion Council aimed at positioning regional products in ASEAN and SAARC markets and called for implementation of the Krishi Udan scheme and establishing APEDA-accredited export pack houses at various airports across the NE.

Other recommendations included integrating markets with the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), promoting agro-tourism, establishing a NE Region market hub in Delhi and increasing involvement of Self-Help Groups and Farmer Producer Organizations.

The high-level task force on Agriculture and Horticulture formed in January 2025 following decisions taken at the 72nd Plenary of the North Eastern Council in December 2024, brought together regional leaders including Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang as convenor and Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia.

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