NERAMAC, NCEL, APEDA showcase opportunities for farmers at Nagaland Cooperative Conclave
Dimapur: The Nagaland Cooperative Conclave at the NBCC Convention Hall in Kohima brought together key agencies, officials, and stakeholders to strengthen the cooperative movement in the state.
The second day of the conclave on Wednesday featured presentations from the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC), National Cooperative Export Ltd. (NCEL), and the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
Addressing the event, Pinky Basumatary, project officer, NERAMAC, said NERAMAC was established under the ministry for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) to ensure fair market access for farmers, minimize post-harvest losses, and link producers with better market opportunities.
She highlighted the corporation’s roles and activities across the Northeast and spoke on the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Shahayata Yojana (PM-MKSSY), aimed at formalizing the fisheries sector by promoting aquaculture insurance and strengthening value chain efficiency for micro and small enterprises.
Rituraj Singh, business manager, NCEL, detailed NCEL’s core activities, from export promotion to market intelligence and value addition.
He highlighted its purpose, mission, and vision for strengthening India’s cooperative export ecosystem. He also outlined NCEL’s membership structure and eligibility for cooperatives across the country.
He added that there are over 15,000 cooperatives as members at present and also emphasized the need for greater participation from Nagaland.
APEDA’s business department manager, Joydev Roy, presented an overview of the agency’s initiatives and financial assistance schemes available to farmers, cooperatives, and state governments.
He also highlighted APEDA’s export promotion efforts, including International Buyer-Seller Meets and specialized promotional events.
Roy noted that Nagaland holds substantial export potential for agricultural products such as King Chili, Tree Tomato, Ginger, Persimmon, and Pineapple in both domestic and international markets.
In the panel discussion on “Navigating the Bottlenecks in Convergence: Strengthening Institutional Coordination and Policy Harmonization,” officials from various departments shared insights on improving collaborative mechanisms.
The B2B meeting provided a platform for direct engagement between stakeholders and cooperative representatives.