AIZAWL: Mizoram would soon export bird’s eye chilli, a typical Mizo organic chilli, to the United States (US) for the first time, state agriculture minister C. Lalrinsanga informed the assembly on Monday.
Replying to a supplementary question from opposition Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) leader Lalduhoma, the agriculture minister said that 7.5 metric tons of organic bird’s eye chilli would be flagged off to the US.
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He said that the consignment would be sent to the US soon after the ongoing budget session, which will conclude on Tuesday.
Lalrinsanga said that the government has obtained geographical identification (GI) for the bird’s eye chilli or Mizo chilli.
The chilli has successfully passed an organic confirmation test at Bangalore last week, he said.
In another reply, the agriculture minister also said the state government is making efforts to improve jhum cultivation.
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Fostering Climate Resilient Upland Farming System in the Northeast (FOCUS) is being implemented in six districts under the Externally Aided Project (EAP) for the improvement of jhum cultivation, he said.
The minister also said that a three-tier Integrated Farming System (IFS) would be implemented in 20 villages within the six districts covered by FOCUS to improve jhum or slash-and-burn cultivation.
Mizoram is largely an agrarian state as the majority population is dependent on agriculture. The traditional jhum or shifting cultivation is widely practised in the state.