The Northeastern Region Agri-Commodity E-connect (NE-RACE) initiative, launched under the aegis of the North Eastern Council (NEC) and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) and implemented by NEDFi in July 2024, was integrated with the Northeastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC) in October 2025.
According to NE-RACE data, agricultural commodities worth Rs 1.63 crore – amounting to 234 metric tonnes (2,34,000 kg) – were traded over the past year. The major commodities included kiwi, persimmon, king chilli, pineapple, and ginger.
In October, the platform received market queries for over 400 metric tonnes (4 lakh kg) of fresh ginger, with buyers specifically seeking produce from Nagaland.
According to Ariba Anar, State Coordinator for NERAMAC in Nagaland, the interest reflects a shifting market dynamic. “Because of the geopolitical situation, the market has shifted a little to our side and also because people assume our products to be more organic and of better quality,” he told MT.
Anar said most ginger is cultivated in Tuensang district in Nagaland, and also in Longleng, Phek, Zunheboto, Kiphire, Kohima, Mon, Noklak, Meluri, Peren, Mokokchung and Wokha. Last year, around 400 MT was produced in Tuensang alone, but farmers were unable to sell their produce as buyers procured ginger from Mizoram instead, where government subsidies and transportation support enabled farmers to sell at lower prices.
“In Nagaland, because of the high transport cost and no subsidy support, the farmers couldn’t sell at a good rate,” Anar said, adding that although raw materials were available in Tuensang, most of the actual supply last year was routed through Phek and Zunheboto due to better road connectivity.
Anar described Mokokchung, Wokha, Tuensang, and Mon as the most advantageous markets because of their proximity to Assam, but said the supply still does not meet the growing demand. “We are buying for industrial use, so when we buy, we buy in bulk -25 to 50 MT – but there’s no supply,” he said.
For this year, NE-RACE aims to meet at least 200 MT of the current order while assessing weekly and monthly price variations. “The issue is that the product is there across Nagaland but not concentrated in one district. It will be more convenient for buyers and more advantageous for farmers if production is localized,” he explained.
Anar further stressed the need for government support to address logistical hurdles. “One very important thing is that if the government can assist in the transportation of ginger, especially from October to February, it would greatly help farmers,” he said. “The high transportation charges are one of the biggest hurdles before reaching the market.”
He added that yearly demand for ginger can go up to 5,000 MT or more, which the state is currently unable to supply. NE-RACE (Northeastern Region Agri-Commodity E-connect), operating under NEDFi and the Ministry of DoNER, entered the market full-fledged only last year. The platform, he said, is working to ensure transparency in agri-trade by directly connecting farmers with genuine buyers, while also monitoring transactions on the ground to prevent exploitation by middlemen.
Meanwhile, NERAMAC (Northeastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd.) marketing linkages will soon be launched across all districts of Nagaland in coordination with the Agri and Allied departments and the Nagaland State Marketing Board, further strengthening farm-to-market connectivity.
Comparing the current situation to the imbalance in the global cocoa market, Anar said, “It feels like the chocolate factory in Africa where the raw materials are taken from there and the finished products get made outside, while our farmers get the lowest price.”
He said Nagaland could increase its farmers’ earnings if the state had ginger drying units. “If Nagaland has such drying units, our farmers will be earning more and so will our agricultural sector grow,” he said.