ITANAGAR, Oct 25 � Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki today suggested the Spices Board of India to come up with a comprehensive proposal for encouraging cultivation of spices in the State with easy access of farmers to market without involvement of middlemen.
Addressing a national seminar on spices here this morning, Tuki said that the State Government would undertake steps to encourage spices cultivation and its marketing in a mission mode by covering the sector under the State flagship programmes in coordination with the Spice Board.
He said that the State Government was also planning to have machinery in place to facilitate marketing through a �Buy-Back Policy� wherein the State Government would buy the produce from the farmers and sell to markets outside.
�We are ready to sign a MoU with the Spice Board in this regard. The department of horticulture and the Board will work out the modalities after discussing it in detail,� he said.
Indian spices are very much preferred in the international markets because of its superiority in intrinsic qualities he said, adding Lakadong Turmeric grown in Meghalaya, Nadia Ginger grown in Arunachal Pradesh, Bhut Jolakia or King chillies grown in the North Eastern States were preferred by the spices exporters and processors.
�Large cardamom cultivation is gaining momentum in the hilly tracts of Arunachal Pradesh because of the suitable agro climatic conditions prevailing here.
�As it is a perennial crop and the prices are comparatively remunerative to the growers, there is large scope to expand the area under large cardamom in the districts like Anjaw, Lower Subansiri and Upper Subansiri,� he pointed out.
�But, non-availability of quality planting materials, disease incidence and lack of technical knowledge on cultivation aspects particularly on the scientific drying among the farmers are the major concern,� he said.
Tuki said, poor marketing facilities and glut in ginger production lead to wider price fluctuations seriously affecting the economy of small farmers. Mostly ginger is sold as fresh.
�There is a paradigm shift towards �Go Organic� worldwide and there is good demand for organic spices like ginger, turmeric, pepper, cardamom and chilli.
�There is huge potential for North Eastern States particularly in the organic production of spices for exports. The Spices are grown organically by adopting the indigenous and traditional farming practices in NE region,� he said.
�Acquiring Organic certification is the major challenge particularly in small grower sector because of the high cost involved in organic certifications,� he observed. � PTI
