North East’s first-ever specialised ginger processing plant in Ri-Bhoi district is being revived and is likely to become functional in the beginning of this year.
This only ginger processing plant of the North East region was established in 2004 but has remained non-functional for many years.
The North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC) has now undertaken the responsibility of reviving it and initiated steps to operationalise the closed plant through PPP mode.
The plant located at the Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP), Byrnihat will not only process ginger but also help in preparing products like waxed ginger, ginger paste, ginger powder, ginger flakes, ginger oil etc.
On December 30, 2020 Union DONER Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh reviewed the functioning of NERAMAC, a public sector undertaking working under the aegis of the DONER Ministry.
Significantly, Dr. Singh said, ginger has attained a place of prominence in recent months because of its reported properties as an immunity booster against Covid-19.
He also said that the ginger products being prepared from this ginger processing plant at Byrnihat will not only be available for domestic consumption but will also have a wider demand and this will also be in keeping with Prime Minister Modi’s calls for “Vocal for Local”.
For the PPP mode, an Operation and Maintenance Operator was selected through the tendering process and the work on setting up and reviving the plant is under progress, he said,
Manoj Kummar Das, Managing Director, NERAMAC, revealed that the North Eastern region produces about 450,000 Metric Tons of high-quality ginger every year but most of it is sold at a lower price due to lack of processing and cold storage facilities.
According to him, the ginger processing plant in Ri-Bhoi district will give the much-needed facility to the ginger growers and they will be able to use their capacities and at the same time optimally utilise the natural resources.
In addition, Dr. Jitendra Singh was informed about the plan to set up 100 new fresh retail points in Northeast and Fruit Kiosks at Guwahati and other major towns of the North East region.
Most of these will be in the PPP mode. The NERAMAC has also undertaken the responsibility to develop marketing complexes with state-of-the-art facilities.
