A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by CSIR-CFTRI with (APEDA) to set up a Liaison Office in Guwahati, Assam today to provide technical support to the food industries in the North East region. It will benefit the farmers, producers and entrepreneurs.   APEDA has undertaken many promotional activities recently to bring the North East states of India on to the export map. In 2019 five international buyer seller meets were organised by APEDA in Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim to showcase the potential of agriculture/ horticulture and processed food products including organic produce to open the export window from the North Eastern States.

Capacity building is another such area where APEDA is keenly focusing to hand-hold the new exporters from the North East region. Recently, APEDA organised an exposure visitto Maharashtra, considered as one of the major export hubs, to acquaint the exporters and state officials from Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland on export oriented farming, pack house and modern food processing units.

APEDA has also organised specific outreach programmes and training on export process for the stakeholders from the North East region. North East region has tremendous potential in converting large areas into organic certification for which training on the requirements of the National Programme on Organic Production (NPOP) have been imparted to the North East states to create awareness on the vast potential of organic agriculture and exports.

 Central Food Technological Research Institute, CSIR−CFTRI, Mysuru, (a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi) is a pioneering Institute working in the area of Food Science and Technology and Human Resource Development started during 1950. Over the years, it has brought out many innovative products and processes into the market in tune with the state-of-the-art R&D practices of the Institute and the changing lifestyle of the consumers. Some of these efforts include development of infant foods products, instant ready-mixes, parboiling of paddy, cultivation of spirulina, health and wellness food products. Societal interventions have been the hallmark of CSIR-CFTRI and large number of farmers have been empowered on affordable and sustainable methods for value addition to agri-commodities contributing to the rural economy. It has been in the forefront for generating quality human resource for the development of food industry.

North Eastern Region has immense opportunities for food processing and other agri-business that can contribute to the economic upliftmentof the region andcreate facilities for startups. It is expected that the liaison office of CSIR-CFTRI will strengthen the food processing sector in the North East and will have multiplying effect on the export of traditional and processed food products from the region.

Promotion of food processing expands export opportunities and organic certification support for North East producers via a liaison office. A memorandum between APEDA and CSIR CFTRI establishes a Liaison Office in Guwahati to provide technical assistance and promotional support for food processing and organic agricultural exports from the North East, focusing on capacity building, export procedure training, pack house and processing guidance, and organic certification under the National Programme on Organic Production to enhance export readiness and value addition for farmers, producers and startups.