Exports by small farmers get a boost in Assam

Post office niryat kendras

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The post offices in Assam have 28 niryat kendras (export centres) to provide logistic support to the small exporters and do away with middlemen in the export business. Started in February this year by the Government of India, such export centres have not yet picked up pace due to a lack of awareness and other reasons.

According to sources, there is a response to some extent from small exporters in Golaghat, Nagaon, and Sualkuchi. The small exporters have so far sent 125 export assignments to various countries through the export centres. The state’s farmers export lemon, ginger, litchis, turmeric, bhootjalaki, joha rice, black rice, wickerwork, handloom products, etc. Some registered firms procure such items from state farmers and export them. In the process, a chunk of the farmer’s profit goes to the firm’s owners. Due to the lengthy procedural hurdles, small exporters could not go for direct exports. Keeping this problem in mind, the Central Government engaged post offices to help the last-mile sellers and buyers in online public procurement through the export centres.

The modus operandi is that the small farmers need to register online and collect the addresses and other details of people or companies abroad to export their products. The farmers can make their products available at the export centres of post offices either physically or online. The responsibility of sending the products to the importers lies with the export centres, which charge a minimal amount.

According to sources, the system reduces the exporting cost of farmers by around 30 percent due to the removal of private exporters and custom agents, who used to play the role of middlemen, taking a chunk of the profits of the small exporters or farmers.

According to sources, to increase the number of export centres and raise awareness about them, the post offices will carry out a campaign. Assam has huge potential for exporting agrarian products, as many farmers stress organic farming, whose products have many takers abroad. In 2022–23 alone, the farmers of the state exported products worth around Rs 4,000 crore.

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