ITBP Sets Up Bulk Market for Arunachal Farmers

Quick Summary

• Arunachal Pradesh Agricultural Marketing Board (APAMB) launched ‘Mission Arun Himveer’ to facilitate the supply of fresh fruits and vegetables from high-altitude farmers to Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel stationed across the State.
• The first consignment under this initiative was flagged off on July 3 by Bichom district’s Deputy Commissioner, Bopai Puroik, for ITBP’s 59th Battalion in Nafra.
• This program follows a similar initiative, ‘Mission Krishi Veer,’ launched in August 2022 for Indian Army and paramilitary personnel.
• The mission aims to create direct market links between small-scale local farmers and armed forces personnel, fostering self-reliance and securing sustainable incomes for farmers while ensuring fair pricing and timely delivery of organic produce.
• The demand from Indian Army units stationed in Arunachal pradesh reportedly totals around 17 tonnes of fruits and 23 tonnes of vegetables daily until now only about 8-10% has been sourced locally.
• Arunachal Pradesh hosts approximately one lakh farmers cultivating over five lakh hectares with a daily output exceeding 300 tonnes each of fruits and vegetables.

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Indian Opinion analysis
‘Mission Arun Himveer’ represents an encouraging step toward improving farmer livelihoods in remote regions while enhancing logistical efficiency for armed forces deployments. A direct supply chain reduces reliance on intermediaries or distant markets, benefiting both parties-farmers gain stable income streams, while ITBP personnel receive fresh local organic produce promptly despite challenging terrain.

The larger backdrop highlights untapped agricultural potential within Arunachal pradesh; despite ample daily production capacities surpassing demand quantities by military forces requirements so gaps emerge bottlenecked traditional linkages limited handle scale posed infrastructure limitations..