GUWAHATI, Jan 6 - A four-day buyer-seller meet, organised by the Spices Board India exclusively for spices grown in the seven north-eastern states of the country, started in the College of Veterinary Science playground, Khanapara, today.
The meet, themed �Spectacle Spices of the North East�, is the first ever marketing and market linkage platform for spices and spice products from the region. The meet will conclude on January 9.
Around 50 entities, representing primarily spice growers and growers� societies and processors from the north-eastern region, are participating in the meet.
Over 30 traders and exporters from different parts of the country are also attending the programme. An array of quality spices which are indigenous to the North East such as the lakadong turmeric, nadia ginger, bhot jalokia (king chilli) and bird�s eye chilli, are being showcased at the meet.
The �seven-sister� states of the North East are home to a variety of spice crops. Lakadong turmeric which has the highest curcumin content at 7.6 per cent, is indigenous to the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. Arunachal Pradesh is fast emerging as the second largest player in the cultivation and production of large cardamom.
Black pepper is abundantly grown amidst the vast tea gardens of Assam and the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya. Varieties of chilli pepper, ranging from the famed bhot jalokia to the shining tiny red bird�s eye chilli, grow in profusion in the North East.
The North East has a spectrum of ginger varieties, which suit both industrial and culinary purposes. Nadia ginger of the region is known for its relatively lower fibre and higher oil and oleoresin content. The favourable agro-climatic conditions and the region�s slightly acidic soil, which is bestowed with rich organic matters, are suitable for cultivation
of spices.
The meet is being organised in association with the third Assam International Agri Horti Show 2016, one of the State�s major annual B2C cum B2B events, which bring together industries like horticulture, floriculture, agriculture, food processing and technology. The Spices Board has set up a stall at the expo.
