Spices Board Organises Buyer-Seller Meet at Guwahati

GUWAHATI:
In a bid to explore the possibilities of trade promotion and market linkage, Spices Board organised a buyer-seller meet here that witnessed the congregation of spice farmers and sellers from the north-east region and exporters and traders from the Indian subcontinent.
The buyer-seller meet, ‘Eastern Emporia – from the farmlands of North East’, facilitated trial orders which may turn into a potential spice trade worth Rs. 10 crore in the next one year. It was organised at National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj at Khanapara in Guwahati, considered the gateway to North-East India.
Around 100 sellers and 60 buyers attended the meet on Sunday (January 8) which featured major spices of indigenous varieties such as ginger, turmeric, large cardamom, Bhut Jalokia, Bird’s Eye Chilli, cinnamon and black pepper, besides the locally grown medicinal and aromatic herbs.
RM Pant, Director, National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, North Eastern Regional Centre, Guwahati inaugurated the Buyer Seller Meet while Nithin Joe, Deputy Director, Spices Board Regional Office, Guwahati, presided over the event. Dharmendra Das, Assistant Director, Spices Board, welcomed the gathering and Dr T N Deka, Scientist, proposed the vote of thanks.
The Buyer-Seller Meet was organised together with the 4th Assam International Agri Horti Show 2017, a leading annual B2C-cum-B2B events in Assam, which showcased the latest in the agriculture and horticulture sector. Held from January 6-9, it is the biggest exhibition on horticulture, floriculture, agriculture, food processing and technology in North-East India.
Spices Board’s stall in the international pavilion provided a platform for primary processors, aggregators and processing units from the eight north-eastern states to showcase their capabilities and capacities.
The north-east states are home to a variety of spice crops. ‘Lakadong Turmeric’, having the highest curcumin content of 7.6 per cent, is indigenous to the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya.
Arunachal Pradesh is fast emerging as the leading player in cultivation and production of large cardamom. Black pepper is abundantly grown amid the vast tea gardens of Assam and the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya. Likewise, a variety of chilli peppers, ranging from the famed ‘Bhot Jalokia (King Chilly)’ to the shining tiny red Bird’s Eye chillies, are grown in the North Eastern Region.
Also, the north-east region has several ginger varieties which serve both industrial and culinary purposes. ‘Nadia Ginger’ is known for its less fibre, higher oil and oleoresin content. The favourable agro-climatic conditions and slightly acidic soil of the region suit the cultivation of spices and adds
to its intrinsic qualities. Also, its organic cultivation practices make the region the ‘organic hotspot’ of India.