Kohima: Nagaland Minister for Agriculture G. Kaito Aye on Tuesday said the brand “Naga Organic” is an initiative to uplift and promote the Agro-based farmers of the state and the government is putting in all effort to make Nagaland an organic state. The minister inaugurated an outreach cum buyer-seller meet on organic food production in the Northeast, organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ICCI) in collaboration with the state Agriculture department, in Kohima on Tuesday. Kaito said in order to facilitate stronger marketing access under the ownership of growers’ organisation, the government of Nagaland has registered the brand as “Naga Organic”. Entrepreneurs under the mission have started selling their produces under this brand. While listing out the hardships faced by entrepreneurs, he mentioned that lack of market information and linkages with buyers, lack of storage and cold chain facilities, high cost of third party organic certification, high cost of transportation from farm to collection centres and to the market due to hilly terrain, lack of air cargo facility and other logistics in most of the airports in the North East region and others are yet to be streamlined. (UNI)
