MP Biplab Kumar Deb Attends Parliamentary Standing Committee Meeting in Kochi
‘Naturally North East’ Brand Can Boost Region’s Agri Identity: CM Dr Manik Saha
Dec 24, 2025Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha has proposed the creation of a unified brand “Naturally North East” to promote and add value to the region’s Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged horticultural products. He said this initiative would enhance recognition and marketability of the Northeast’s unique agricultural produce across the country and overseas.
Dr. Saha shared his views during a high-level virtual meeting of the Task Force on Agriculture and Horticulture in Northeastern States, chaired by Union Minister for DoNER Jyotiraditya Scindia. Chief Ministers, state agriculture ministers, and senior officials from the Northeast participated in the session.
Highlighting that over 70% of the region’s population depends on agriculture and allied activities, Dr. Saha underscored the importance of a coordinated regional strategy to alleviate poverty, ensure food security, and unlock export potential.
He noted that a range of horticultural crops from the Northeast — such as Assam’s tea, Manipur’s black rice, Nagaland’s indigenous chilly, Tripura’s Queen pineapple, and Sikkim’s large cardamom already enjoy GI recognition. Integrating these products under a common brand and building a value chain around them, he said, would significantly boost their visibility.
Dr. Saha also emphasized the potential of high-value crops like pineapple, banana, turmeric, ginger, large cardamom, orchids, and bamboo. He urged each state to establish tissue culture laboratories in their capitals to ensure year-round, disease-free production.
The Chief Minister highlighted opportunities in precision farming, where the integration of GPS, sensors, and artificial intelligence could enhance productivity and sustainability. He proposed setting up a mega collection center in Guwahati to facilitate aggregation and rapid transport of perishable produce through Kisan Rail and Krishi Udaan networks.
To meet international standards of storage and shelf life, Dr. Saha recommended adopting gamma irradiation-based preservation technology in collaboration with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. He also called for robust market linkages, digital trading platforms, and direct farmer-to-buyer connections to reduce dependence on intermediaries and ensure fair prices for farmers.
Dr. Saha however sought central assistance for conducting market studies on demand for northeastern agri-products in neighboring countries to boost export prospects.
Most Recent
