Why in News?
The Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, formally launched the cluster-based “Arunachal Kiwi: The USP of Arunachal Pradesh” mission in New Delhi.
About
- ₹167 Crore Financial Outlay: The central government backed the specialized value-chain and cultivation project with a robust budget of ₹167 crore.
- State-Level Integration: The central initiative integrates directly with the state's ongoing Kiwi Mission 2025–2035, aiming to make the state synonymous with kiwi just as Assam is with tea.
- Unified Governance Approach: The scheme implements a "whole-of-government" model, seamlessly converging resources from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, APEDA, and NABARD.
Market and Production Dominance
- India’s Kiwi Leader: Arunachal Pradesh is the largest kiwi-producing state in India, independently commanding over 50% to 56% of the country's total kiwi production.
- Annual Output: The state harvests between 7,000 and 8,000 metric tonnes of premium kiwifruit every year.
- Import Substitution: Because India currently imports roughly 75% of its domestic kiwi demand, scaling up Arunachal's yield is prioritized to cut foreign dependency.
Unique Organic Status
- Pioneering Organic Certification: It holds the distinction of being the first certified organic kiwifruit in India.
- Rigorous Verification: The certification was authorized under the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD-NER) following a scientific assessment by APEDA to verify zero chemical or pesticide usage.
Strategic Objectives of the Mission
- Orchard Rejuvenation: The mission targets old farms to conduct varietal replacement and orchard rejuvenation, introducing modern, higher-yielding strains.
- Model Farms Expansion: Establishing Model Kiwi Orchards across 13 to 14 districts to serve as specialized scientific training hubs for local tribal farmers.
- The Epicentre: The scenic Ziro Valley remains the designated core engine and central hub for processing, research, and production.
- Post-Harvest Infrastructure: The fund targets historical weak links by constructing state-of-the-art cold storage units, packaging facilities, and direct market links to boost global exports.
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