Uttarakhand, 10th October 2024: Spices Board under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, represented by Dr A B Remashree, Director signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Directorate of Horticulture and Food Processing, Government of Uttarakhand for promoting sustainable agricultural practices in Uttarakhand in the presence of Shri Sunil Barthwal, Secretary, Department of Commerce today as part of the Industry Interaction Meet held in Dehradun. The agreement focuses on identifying suitable areas for expanding large cardamom cultivation and other spices in the region. This pilot project is aimed at enhancing the green economy through improving post-harvest practices, establishing market linkages, boosting quality, and building the capacity of farmers, along with facilitating the formation of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).
Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Spices Board and House of Himalayas Ltd., a brand launched by PM Narendra Modi, to promote the region’s indigenous spices. This collaboration aims to not only boost the presence of Uttarakhand’s spices under the “House of Himalayas” brand but also contribute to sustainable development and community empowerment. With this partnership, both organizations will work towards developing the Uttarakhand spice brand while exploring economic opportunities for local farmers.
Actions to expand large cardamom cultivation in the northern Himalayan region have started under Spices Board’s flagship scheme programme- SPICED. The initiative aims to sensitize farmers to advanced agricultural practices, post-harvest handling and improvement, value addition of spices, and primary processing. Furthermore, the Spices Board is playing a critical role in creating market linkages between local farmers and exporters to ensure their produce finds national and international buyers.
The event was attended by key officials of the Government of Uttarakhand including Smt Radhika Jha, IAS Secretary- Rural Development, Govt of Uttarakhand, Anand Bardhan, IAS, Surendra Narayan Pandey, Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of Uttarakhand, Manuj Goyal, IAS, Managing Director of House of Himalayas Ltd along with officials of Apeda, Indian Institute of Packaging, Tea Board and CEOs of major agriculture products exporters.
The collaborative efforts of the government agencies represent a major milestone in Uttarakhand’s agricultural development, aligning local farmers with sustainable practices while positioning the state’s spices on a national and international platform.
