Scindia Pushes Value Chain Overhaul for Northeast Agri-Horti
High-Level Task Force charts cluster-based roadmap to boost farmer income and market linkages in the North East
- Task Force calls for end-to-end integration of agri-horti value chains across the North East.
- Focus on product specialisation, quality and market differentiation as USP of NER produce.
- Cluster-based development and export readiness to drive farmer income growth.
- Blueprint-based approach to cut post-harvest losses and logistics costs.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 24th Dec: Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, participated in a High-Level Task Force (HLTF) meeting on Agriculture and Horticulture convened by Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang in New Delhi to discuss strengthening value chains and market linkages across the North Eastern Region.
The meeting brought together Tripura Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha, Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Gabriel D. Wangsu, Sikkim Agriculture Minister Puran Kumar Gurung, Secretary MDoNER and senior officials from state governments.
Deliberations focused on addressing bottlenecks across production, post-harvest, processing, marketing and logistics segments of agri-horti value chains. Participants underlined the need to reduce post-harvest losses and logistics costs, while enhancing value realisation for farmers through better market connectivity.
The Task Force stressed that product specialisation, quality assurance and market differentiation should form the core strength of agri-horti products from the North East, enabling the region to build a strong competitive identity in domestic and global markets.
A strategic roadmap was proposed, progressing from foundational interventions to full-scale value chain integration. This includes creating infrastructure for export readiness, identifying priority commodities for each state and promoting cluster-based development to ensure efficiency, scale and market alignment.
A blueprint-based approach was also suggested, starting with one product at a time and developing its entire value chain through short-, medium- and long-term plans with clearly defined targets and investment needs. The Task Force emphasised assessing farmer participation and measuring income enhancement on a product-wise and state-wise basis.
The HLTF reaffirmed that a focused, cluster-driven strategy would strengthen market linkages, reduce inefficiencies and deliver measurable and sustainable income growth for farmers across the North Eastern Region.
