The Industries and Commerce Department organized an Export Awareness Programme at the Conference Hall of the Directorate of Industries and Commerce on 24th July 2023. The event was graced by Hekani Jakhalu, Advisor to Industries and Commerce, Government of Nagaland, as the Special Guest.

Also present at the programme were Kekhrievor Kevichusa, Commissioner & Secretary, GON (Government of Nagaland), Amit Sharma, Joint DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade), Kolkata, GOI (Government of India), Meyasahi, Director of Horticulture, and Albert Ngullie, Director of Land Resources.

In her speech, Hekani Jakhalu expressed contentment with Nagaland's progress towards being recognized on the world map in terms of exports. She encouraged all attendees to make the programme impactful and meaningful. Hekani emphasized the importance of convergence among departments to ensure success in the state's export sector. She urged the departments to collaborate closely, particularly the Industries and Commerce Department with the Agri and Allied departments, to achieve the desired outcomes.

Amit Sharma, in his technical speech, highlighted the significance of exports, focusing on institutionalizing and expanding export practices. He shared the role of the Trade Promotion Wing and its functions in addressing infrastructure and logistics challenges in the North Eastern State, which can help reduce costs and enhance market competitiveness. Sharma called on government officials to educate farmers and address challenges related to exports effectively. He stressed the importance of GI (Geographical Indication) tagging to preserve the identity of Nagaland's products.

Kekhrievor Kevichusa also spoke about representing the name tag of products and encouraged entrepreneurs to utilize the export and import center at Ganesh Nagar. He mentioned the upcoming Model Export Facility in Dimapur, which will benefit entrepreneurs in the state's export sector. Kevichusam stressed the need for facilities to facilitate exports and advocated for departmental clustering to enhance the state's export potential.

The Director of Horticulture, Meyasashi, addressed Nagaland's trade deficit situation and the government's strategies to transform it into a non-trade deficit state. He emphasized cluster farming practices and the significance of maintaining quantity, quality, and pricing standards for successful exports.

Albert Ngullie, Director of Land Resources, highlighted the growth of coffee and rubber activities promoted by the department. He pointed out that coffee from Nagaland is being exported nationally and internationally to countries like Switzerland and South Africa, and he emphasized the importance of traceability to protect the identity of Nagaland's coffee in the global market.

(Thungti Chang, IA)