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States » EastPosted at: May 14 2025 8:22PM


Mizoram’s Rs 58 crore ginger buyback softens export blow

Aizawl, May 14 (UNI) Grappling with collapsing ginger prices and a near-total halt in exports to Bangladesh, the Mizoram government has stepped in with aggressive procurement under its ‘Bana Kaih’ (handholding) scheme, spending over Rs 58.08 crore to buy 1,13,627 quintals of ginger from local farmers since April 20 through the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism.
The intervention, led by the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government, comes as ginger exporters face mounting losses due to the sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border. Officials from the Mizoram Agriculture Marketing Board (MAMB) informed that Rs 62.60 crore has been allocated so far for the purchase of four notified crops under the scheme. An additional Rs 20 crore is being sought to sustain procurement operations.
At an MSP rate of Rs 50 per kilogram, the government has procured substantial quantities, though returns from sales remain modest at Rs 6.35 crore through empanelled buyers. Part of the stock was sold via direct purchases.
Export bottlenecks worsen the price crash
The state’s ginger economy, heavily reliant on exports to Bangladesh, has been severely impacted. Starfirm CEO Malsawmi highlighted that geopolitical tensions—namely the India-Pakistan conflict—and ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh have stalled cross-border trade. “With Bangladesh being India’s largest ginger importer, the closure of this route has crippled exporters and led to a precipitous fall in prices,” she said on Monday.
Wholesale prices have nosedived, with ginger selling at Rs 28 per kg in Delhi mandis and hitting lows of Rs 17 per kg in Silchar and Siliguri—key outlets for Mizoram’s produce.
In response, the state government is pivoting towards domestic value addition. A high-level meeting of the MAMB, chaired by Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Tuesday, deliberated on scaling up ginger processing, particularly sliced dry ginger, in partnership with 13 local enterprises.
The government is also eyeing external investments. Six companies, including firms from outside the state and overseas, have shown interest in setting up ginger processing units in Mizoram. The meeting resolved to engage with these investors, seeking clarity on their requirements and preferred locations for establishing units.
To expedite the process, a dedicated committee has been formed to follow up on these proposals, to enhance processing capacity and diversify market avenues for Mizoram’s ginger farmers.
Mizoram’s aggressive MSP-driven procurement and its simultaneous focus on attracting investments underscore a crucial policy intervention to mitigate the fallout of global trade disruptions. As the Bangladesh route remains uncertain, the state’s twin-track approach of immediate support and long-term capacity building could offer a model for other agri-export dependent regions facing similar challenges.
UNI ZS BD
Tags: #Mizoram’s Rs 58 crore ginger buyback softens export blow
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