Mizoram govt gives top priority to cash crop market under flagship programme

Mizoram agriculture minister PC Vanlalruata on Monday said that the state government gives top priority to setting up or exploring markets for cash crops produced by farmers under the newly launched government’s flagship programme ‘Hand holding’ policy. Addressing a party function at Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) office here, Vanlalruata said that the main objective of the hand holding policy is to bring sustainable development in the state. “Our top priority under the handholding policy is to create or explore markets for crops produced by local farmers. Although successive governments neglected the matter, the present ZPM government gives top priority to it and we are making massive efforts to implement it,” Vanlalruata said. He said that farmers will now cultivate crops with the knowledge of minimum prices at which they will sell their products at the harvest end. Vanlalruata said that the government is making relentless efforts to establish four wholesale markets in Aizawl for selling cash crops, vegetables and other agricultural products.

The state agricultural department has so far received Rs. 10 crore for setting up two wholesale markets and lands are being identified at Sihphir and Melthum areas near Aizawl for setting up such wholesale markets, he said. He said that the government will also take steps to construct agricultural link roads across the state. Vanlalruata expressed hope that many families may become economically self-dependent and Mizoram will get a new image in terms of development in the next 10 years. The ‘Bana Kaih’ or  Hand Holding policy was launched by chief minister Lalduhoma on September 19 to provide financial assistance and support to entrepreneurs and farmers across the state through a series of targeted programs designed to promote economic growth and self-sufficiency. The programme will be implemented by converging it with various schemes and initiatives of the central government, officials said. The state government has allocated Rs. 200 crore for the implementation of the hand holding policy for the fiscal 2024-25 apart from Rs. 110 crore corpus fund allocated for agricultural assurance in 2023-24 fiscal, they said.  

This hand holding scheme outlines the strategies designed by the state government  to achieve the status of a developed state by 2047. It seeks to empower the  citizens by providing them the required financial, technical, infrastructural and institutional support through a whole of government approach. The policy will be implemented for empowering different sectors, which includes uplifting farmers through purchase of local agriculture or horticulture produce, food processing, marketing of agriculture and allied products, promotion of entrepreneurship and skill development, creating employment avenues for youths, giving impetus to small-scale and agro-based industries and other development works. Horticulture, fisheries, veterinary and animal husbandry, and sericulture activities, which serve as crucial means of livelihood for many in the state, will receive renewed attention under the ‘Hand holding policy’. Under this scheme, the government will provide financial support and offer loans up to Rs. 50 lakh to progress partners (beneficiaries) through partner banks. The government will serve as guarantor for these project loans under existing national credit guarantee schemes and beneficiaries, who regularly repay their loans may enjoy interest subvention of up to 100 per cent. The scheme also includes the Chief Minister’s Special Category Scheme, which provides grant-in-aid of up to Rs. 1 lakh.