IMPHAL, June 2 - Following first-ever Ginger Festival cum Business Summit last month, the farmers of two ginger growing Manipur districts � Pherzawl and Churachandpur � have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Kolkata based government agency MSTC Ltd in Imphal on Friday.
in presence of Principal Secretary (Horticulture and Soil Conservation) JC Ramthanga, Director, Horticulture and Soil Conservation K Kipgen and other department officials along with the farmers of Pherzawl and Churachandpur.
Expressing happiness over the signing of the understanding, State Horticulture and Soil Conservation Minister Th Shyamkumar said the department including Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA) has come up with the initiative for the farmers as they were searching for a proper market place.
As per the understanding with Pherzwal District Agro Producers Development Society, the MSTC Ltd, will buy 1,000 metric tonnes of organic ginger from the farmers at the price of Rs 19 per kg, amounting to Rs 1.90 crore.
MSTC Ltd will lift the first consignment on June 20, according to MOMA Mission Director K Debadutta Sharma. Further, the products will be sold through e-auction on MSTC Ltd web portal.
But the farmers have to bear the transportation charge till Churachandpur, from where the company will lift the consignment to Kolkata, he said and opined that if quality management and consistency are streamlined than there is a potential for a big market place for organic produce of the State including turmeric, pineapple, among others.
