By Our Reporter
Shillong: With an aim to provide a platform to the people of the region to showcase their traditional food, believed to have medicinal properties, the North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project (NERCORMP) organized the Fourth Neat Fest 2012 at All Saints’ Hall here on Tuesday.
Various agri-products, aloe vera and its by-products like soap, chilly, ginger, turmeric, honey, rice and medicinal herbs useful for diabetics were exhibited in the fest. Handlooms and handicraft like shawls, waist coats, bags, baskets, head gear, decorative items, muras, jewellery were also on display.
However, stalls displaying traditional tea and food items were the main attraction of the fest with people thronging these outlets to have a taste of the items in display from various districts of Meghalaya, Assam and Manipur.
“Traditional and regional cuisine fall under the category of Slow Food and it is important to promote them in order to encourage farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem,” secretary, North Eastern Council (NEC) UK Sangma said.
The participants for the Neat Fest came from places like Senapati and Ukhrul districts in Manipur, North Cachar Hills and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam and West Khasi Hills and West Garo Hills districts of Meghalaya.
Managing Director, NERCORMP L Baite pointed out the problems faced by the people of the state in terms of productivity. “Low productivity apart from improper marketing of food products in absence of food storage systems are common problems faced by the state despite huge potential here”, he said.
He also said that lack of financial support from public sector banks adds to the problem while urging the banks to come forward and join hands in this initiative to help develop the rural sector of the state.
Baite informed that NERCORMP has been successful in bringing up rural communities through various initiatives by helping them use their skills in producing and marketing traditional items.