Realizing the potential of organic farming in the North Eastern Region of the country Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare has launched a Central Sector Scheme entitled “Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region” for implementation in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, during the 12th plan period. The scheme aims at development of certified organic production in a value chain mode to link growers with consumers and to support the development of entire value chain starting from inputs, seeds, certification, to the creation of facilities for collection, aggregation, processing marketing and brand building initiative.

MISSION OBJECTIVES
A. To develop crop commodity specific organic value chain and address gaps in organic crop production, wild crop harvesting, organic livestock management and processing handling and marketing of organic agricultural products through:
i. Developing crop specific organic production clusters with necessary infrastructural, technical and financial support
ii. By facilitating partnerships between farmers and organic businesses: Local enterprises and / or Farmer Producer Companies based on back-to-back long-term trade relations with clients in domestic and export markets.
iii. By providing enabling environment for project initiatives and development programs with necessary support for organic value chain development and create market access.

B. To empower producers with program ownership by organizing them into FIGs with the final aim to federate into farmer producer organizations/ companies.

C. To replace conventional farming/subsistence farming system into local resource based, self-sustainable, high value commercial organic enterprise.

D. Developing commodity specific commercial organic value chain under integrated and concentrated approach with end-to-end facilities for production, processing, storage and marketing.

E. Development of organic parks/zones with facilities for collection, aggregation, value addition, processing, storage and market-linkages for specific commodities requiring capital intensive technology.

F. Develop NER products as brands/labels through brand building and facilitating stronger marketing access under the ownership of growers’ organizations/ companies. G. Creating state specific lead agency (Organic Commodity Board or Organic Mission) for coordinating, monitoring, supporting and financing the development and operationalization of entire value chain.

MISSION GOALS

1. To install dedicated institutional systems at Centre and under each of the state for development and promotion of organic farming.

2. To create at least one to two replicable end-to-end organic value chain models in each of the state with the integration of growers, handlers, processors, and market facilitation agencies.

3. To empower 30-50 thousand farmers of northeastern region through the creation of about 100 farmer producer companies and equip such companies with full value chain under its ownership.

4. To convert subsistence farming to commercial organic farming with end-to-end facilities.

5. To make Northeastern states as major suppliers of organic commodities for national and international markets.

6. To improve production system to ensure higher productivity with better profitability.

7. To enable states to evolve their own brand.