Marcofed chairman calls for value addition on forest products

Dimapur, March 3 (EMN): Expounding that Nagas are endowed with enough materials from their environment and forest products for their sustenance, Marcofed chairman, Dr. M Chuba Ao, has stressed on the need for value addition, branding and marketing of those forest products to enable the people get maximum profit and at the same time create self-employment avenues in the society.

Dr. Chuba stated this during interaction with the trainees of six Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) centres under Mokokchung district. Dr. Chuba, who undertook a two-day interactive tour to VDVK centres, has highlighted about the upcoming exhibition to be held tentatively during the end of March or April first week in Dimapur, an update from BJP Mokokchung district media and IT cell stated.

The Marcofed chairman, who is also the BJP national vice president, encouraged the VDVK to be prepared and take the unique opportunity to showcase their products in the exhibition programme, which would be organised by TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs, government of India, in collaboration with Marcofed, Nagaland. The event would be sponsored by Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship under Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, government of India.

During the interactive session at the different VDVK centres, Dr. Chuba pointed out that the Van Dhan Scheme is an initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Trifed.  It was launched on April 14, 2018, to improve tribal incomes through value addition of tribal products.

He expressed satisfaction on the performances of six VDVK under Mokokchung districts, where the trainees are running food producing units using the available agricultural and forest products in the area. However, he advised the VDVK to register their products with the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) so that their products could be marketed all over the country and even in foreign countries.

He also encouraged the trainees to focus, apart from regular agricultural practices, on cultivating easily available crops like sesame seeds or millets, which have high value in the market after ‘value addition’ like sesame seed oil or ‘ragi powder’ from millet.

He stated that Macrofed Nagaland, through the VDVK, would explore every possible ways and means to promote the farmers so that the rural people become more prosperous and self-reliant. 

The centres which the Macrofed chairman visited included Changtongya VDVK (camp Akhoya), Anitit VDVK (camp Chuchuyimlang), Aonglenden VDVK (camp Ungma), Tribes VDVK (camp Mokokchung town), Aoer VDVK (camp Ungma) and Sumedem VDVK (camp Mokokchung town).

Dr. Chuba further informed that there are 57 VDVK centres all over Nagaland and added that all the centres are expected to participate in the upcoming mega exhibition to be held in Dimapur.