Northeast can become India’s next growth engine through sustainable agriculture: Sitharaman.
BHOIRYMBONG (Meghalaya): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said the Northeast has the potential to emerge as India’s next engine of growth by capitalising on its strengths in sustainable agriculture and premium organic produce.
Sitharaman said the region is well placed to meet the rising global demand for high-quality, traceable, and environmentally sustainable agricultural products by addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Northeast’s largest organic spice processing plant of the Eastern Ri-Bhoi Organic Farmer Producer Company Ltd in Bhoirymbong.
She also said Meghalaya is exceptionally positioned to lead the organic agriculture movement because of its trust on produce that enjoys in International markets. The finance minister said “the future of agriculture increasingly belongs not to those who produce the most, but to those who produce the best — cleaner, more traceable, more trusted and more premium”.
Highlighting the changing dynamics of global food markets, Sitharaman said consumers across the world are increasingly willing to pay a premium for organic and sustainably produced food, creating a significant opportunity for farmers in the Northeast. She said the newly inaugurated organic spice processing plant would strengthen the value chain by enabling better processing, packaging, and marketing of spices produced by local farmers, thereby improving their incomes and expanding their access to domestic and international markets.
Sitharaman reiterated that sustainable agriculture, backed by quality assurance and value addition, can transform the Northeast into a key contributor to India’s economic growth while ensuring prosperity for farming communities.
