Northeast vegetables & fruits find buyers in European markets

GUWAHATI: Vegetables and fruits locally grown in the north-eastern States are winning hearts in European markets.

In an encouraging development the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), an export promotion organization under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industries, has exported a consignment of fresh beans, locally known as urohi, on a trial basis from Assam to London. This is for the first time that a trial shipment of French beans has been exported to overseas destination from Assam.

The trial shipment of fresh beans also known as hyacinth/lablab beans reached London via Kolkata on Sunday night. An official in APEDA told The Sentinel that initial reports received so far have indicated that fresh beans are a hit in London’s markets. Encouraged by the development, the APEDA has decided to export more consignments of the vegetable to London in the coming days.

The first consignment of fresh beans weighing 500 kg was sent to London after procuring the vegetable directly from farmers at Kharupetia in Darrang district. The consignment was sent through an exporter from Guwahati.

The official said the APEDA is working with various stakeholders to bridge the gaps for exports and to link produces of the Northeast to the international market.

In January this year the APEDA had successfully exported trial shipments of fresh pineapples from Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya, besides sending consignments of orange produced in the NE States to overseas markets.

The APEDA is planning to export orange to Dubai in December this year. “We are trying to send more consignments of other fresh fruits (including a citrus fruit used for flavouring) and vegetables from the Northeast to the international market,” the official said, adding that the APEDA has also taken initiatives to persuade domestic carriers to charge competitive freight rates for shipping the perishables grown in the region.