Mizoram has received a major boost to its agricultural sector with the launch of the Rs 189.79-crore Mizoram Ginger Mission, a Centre-backed initiative aimed at strengthening ginger cultivation, processing and global market access for farmers in the state.

The project was jointly launched virtually on May 13 by Union DONER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma.

The launch event, held at the Chief Minister’s Office in Aizawl, was attended by Horticulture Minister C Lalsawivunga and senior government officials.

Implemented under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER), the mission seeks to transform ginger farming in Mizoram through value addition, branding, processing infrastructure and export integration.

Addressing the programme, Scindia said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision is to ensure that farmers become stakeholders across the entire agricultural value chain “from farm to fork.”

The Union minister highlighted that Mizo ginger contains 6-8 per cent oleoresin — significantly higher than the global average of around 3 per cent — but farmers currently receive only ₹8 to ₹15 per kilogram despite international market values crossing ₹500 per kilogram.

Calling the initiative the “Mizo Ginger Movement,” Scindia said the mission is built around four pillars — convergence, value addition, branding and market integration.

The project will include one integrated processing hub, three spoke centres and more than 30 strategic interventions, while aiming to connect nearly 20,000 farming households into a unified value-chain ecosystem.

Scindia said the long-term goal is to position “Mizo Ginger” in Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern and European markets with traceability and international quality standards.

Chief Minister Lalduhoma said the project would focus on sustainable cultivation, food safety, farm mechanisation, solarisation and post-harvest processing.

He noted that two ginger varieties from Mizoram — Thingpui and Thinglaidum — received Geographical Indication (GI) tags in 2021, further strengthening the state’s agricultural identity.

The Chief Minister also said recent chemical residue testing by Eurofins Analytical Services in Bengaluru confirmed that Mizoram ginger meets international quality standards.

Ginger remains one of Mizoram’s flagship crops, and the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government currently provides minimum support prices to farmers for several key agricultural products.