DoNER, NEC new thrust for NE

Guwahati, Mar 9 (UNI) The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region(DoNER) and the North Eastern Council(NEC) today relaunched an effort to revive rubber, coffee, tea and spices production in the northeast.

Union DoNER Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar along with Union Commerce Minister Jairam Ramesh brought in the top brass of the Rubber Board, Coffee Board, Spices Board, Tea Board and the Agricultural Processed Food Export Development Agency and asked them to work towards a new goal.

''This attempt is different and we are going ahead professionally to revive the whole business,'' said Mr Aiyar while addressing a news conference here today.

''A task force have been formed under the Chairmanship of NEC Adviser P P Srivastava along with Chairman of Rubber Board, as well as NEC Secretary to go through the whole effort and submit a detailed action plan for reviving all these four sectors by April 8,'' said Mr Aiyar.

Later addressing the media, Mr Ramesh said the basic thrust would be on rubber.

'' Today the Northeast produces 9.8 per cent of the total rubber in the country, while 82 per cent comes from Kerela. The Northeast has to increase the production by tenfold. Tripura has done well and Asom will have to excel, as it has more than 50 per cent of the total rubber cultivable area in the whole of the Northeastern region,'' said the commerce minister.

The next big thrust is tea where the emphasis is on rejuvenation of the 40-year-old tea plantation. Whereas, most of the tea plantations are more than 50 years old and in urgent need of re-plantation, said Mr Ramesh.

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