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Coverage by business-northeast
Guwahati: The Northeast, which is well-known as a hub for organic produce, remains an untapped potential in India. The conference, held in Guwahati under the auspices of the Assam government, focused on realising the potential of natural and organic products, as well as GI-tagged products from the northeastern market.
Natural and organic products are a very niche and special market in India, according to APEDA Director Dr. Tarun Bajaj.
Dr. Tarun Bajaj, Director of APEDA, mentioned the Northeast's market potential during an interview with Business-northeast.
To capitalise on the potential of such premium markets in India, our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, have expressed a strong interest in promoting them as part of their visionary mission. As Director adds, Assam has a lot of potential in the organic market.
A large portion of the northeastern land, particularly Assam comprises the natural and organic products that have been GI tagged.
The organic market is rich, and its potential is what we need to broaden in order to make not only local people aware of it, but also promote it globally.
Marketing and promoting a product will only increase its value, ultimately benefiting local producers in terms of remuneration or income.
Local producers who earn a living from this very niche market can benefit from government and buyer support. COVID brought about change in the world. People have begun to adopt a healthier lifestyle. They have begun to prefer organic and natural products.
Organic foods are getting more attention. We have a large certified land bank under the Government of India's MOVCD scheme. All of these items are in high demand on the market.
People need to understand how important the organic market is right now and how much it has to offer in the future.
People at the grassroots level are aware of the benefits available through government schemes and initiatives.
The schemes available should directly benefit the local producers.
There are FPCs, or cooperatives, that can assist local producers.
And, according to Bajaj, if they could come out and promote their own products in the market, they would easily find a way out to potential exporters.
Our products are competitively priced, and if we consider factors such as prices, we will be able to broaden our horizons by penetrating the market.
When we mentioned how important digitization is, they told business-northeast that organic export is largely controlled digitally. Because we have complete recebility, India was the first country to implement end-to-end traceability on a web-based platform. Buyers and exporters have returned to the network and connected with producers in order to ensure that they receive what they deserve.
According to the previous report, there was a rapid increase in the food industry during the pandemic period. People's adaptation to healthier options may result in a large demand for organic products.
India reported a 23 percent increase in food exports, representing a 20 percent increase in growth year after year. We have also reached $50 billion in exports and are currently ranked among the top ten countries in the world. As the APEDA Director concludes the conversation, he mentions the food industry of India has greater scopes at the global level, and it's high time people realise its potential.
