Mizoram committed to buying four crops from local farmers: Agriculture minister

The Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government headed by Chief Minister Lalduhoma is committed to buying locally grown four crops to support farmers in the state, a minister said on Monday.

State Agriculture Minister PC Vanlalruata said the government will stick to its pre-poll promises and purchase ginger, turmeric, chilli and broomsticks from local farmers.

Buying these items from Mizoram farmers was a poll promise of the ZPM which came to power in the northeastern state in December last year.

“We have constituted a marketing board to deal with the purchase of the four key crops. The board is taking steps vigorously towards this. Recently, we organised an international conclave cum buyer-seller meet where several buyers and exporters from the country and abroad assembled. Our efforts are going smoothly,” Vanlalruata said while addressing a party function at the ZPM office here.

The government will facilitate markets for ginger and turmeric from January to May and that of chilli and broomsticks between January and March, he said.

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“Even though opposition parties want us to face disgrace in case we are unable to do it, the ZPM government headed by Chief Minister Lalduhoma is committed to buying the four key crops,” he added.

The minister also said agriculture marketing committees have been set up in all the districts and nearly 800 farmers’ societies have been formed in all the villages so far.

Each farmer society will be declared as the primary collection centre, he said.

“If the farmer societies can arrange auctions for their locally grown crops, they will sell the produce on their own without the government’s intervention. In case they are unable to do so, they will bring their crops to secondary collection centres set up in 45 villages by the government,” he said.

Vanlalruata said that the government will also set up two wholesale markets- one each in Sihphir and Melthum – near Aizawl where the local farmers can sell or store their crops.

Meanwhile, sitting Mizo National Front (MNF) legislator and opposition leader Lalchhandama Ralte demanded that the government purchase the four locally grown crops as it had promised.

Instead of setting a time frame between January and May, the state government should purchase selected crops and provide support prices to local farmers throughout the year, like the Central government giving minimum support price to farmers for 24 selected crops a year, he said.