Citrus fruits from the Northeastern state of Meghalaya will now be available in markets of Dubai. A sample consignment of GI tagged Khasi Mandarins has been exported from the state.
The consignment has the fruits sourced from farms in the Ri Bhoi district of the state. The Jirang-based Farmer Producer Company handled the project. It was supported by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare of Meghalaya collaborated with Ministry of Commerce and Industries, GOI to make this possible.
The Khasi Mandarin is an agricultural produce with a GI tag and associates with certain locations of the hill state. The Agriculture Secretary of Meghalaya flagged off the consignment while the APEDA chairman attended the event virtually.
The Khasi Mandarin has a Geographical Identifier tagged agricultural product. The lot was locally sourced and sorted to promote the product in the international markets by the Jirang-based Farmer Producer Company located in the Ri Bhoi district of the state. These fruits were cultivated under the Mission of Organic Value Chain Development for the North Eastern Region. This was a sub-project under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture.
This project is an attempt to put Meghalaya on the list of exporters of organic fruits and vegetables as a major player. Proper market research and value addition of local produce has helped a great deal. Also the Northeastern states have immense potential when it comes to organic farming.
Apart from being very good in taste, Khasi Mandarins are also an excellent source of Vitamin C.
