Processed food products. Picture by Biju Boro

Does the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) give any subsidy for sending agricultural processed food products outside the region? If so, what is the level of subsidy?

pranati phukan,

Ganeshguri

Apeda is providing inland transport subsidy on some eligible products to facilitate their export. The level of subsidy is as follows —

a)Re 1 per kg if transported by road from any northeastern state to Guwahati for export by air from the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport.

b)Rs 2 per kg if transported from any northeastern state to Calcutta by rail through the ICD, Guwahati.

c)Inland transport assistance on transportation by rail through ICD, Guwahati, at the rate of Rs 2 per kg for the products which can be taken by rail from the northeastern region to any place in West Bengal for processing and export.

d)90 per cent of the air freight charged by any airlines from an airport in the northeastern states or Bagdogra airport to Guwahati or Calcutta for export.

e)Apeda to ensure appropriate verification of the goods that have been procured from northeastern region for export.

There was a plan by Apeda to set up organic farms in the region. What happened to it?

rekha kalita,

Kahilipara

Apeda has set up four model organic farms on joha rice, sugarcane, pineapple and passion fruit in the northeastern region to educate the people about the concept of organic farming. All the farms were certified by an international certifying agency called the SKAL. An exporter had purchased the entire quantity of joha rice produced for test marketing. The model organic farm in Tripura was handed over to the state government. Apeda has requested the governments of Assam and Manipur to take over the model farms set up in their respective states to use them as a demonstration farm. We are awaiting their response.

Many project proposals in the floriculture sector are often thrown into the dustbin as they are rejected for non-viability. Can Apeda help in making project proposals?

dipak patowary,

Khanapara

Apeda is a facilitating body under the Union ministry of commerce and industry.

We can provide the list of consultants and one of them can be selected for the preparation of the feasibility report. The feasibility report can be financially appraised either by a nationalised bank or the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard). Apeda can extend financial assistance up to 50 per cent of the cost, subject to a ceiling of Rs 2 lakh per beneficiary for conducting a feasibility study.

Has the APEDA been able to create entrepreneurs in the floriculture and the agriculture processed food sectors in the region?

manas pal,

Birubari

Yes, two floriculture projects are already under implementation in the agri export zones in Sikkim and two more projects are likely to be firmed up in the states of Mizoram and Meghalaya after the elections. In the processed food sector, Apeda has provided assistance to the Neramac under its scheme for development of infrastructure.

This is helping them to market the processed product for export. Attempts have been made to export processed passion fruit from Nagaland and some progress has been made in that regard.