The Modern Aggregation Centre at Longnak, Mokokchung, was among three units virtually inaugurated by the Nagaland Government in June under the State-Assisted Scheme for Capital Investment (SASCI) V (2024-25) and PM Gati Shakti, according to a DIPR report.
The other two were the Incubation Centre for Entrepreneurs & Infrastructure Development at Ganeshnagar, Chumoukedima, and the Food Processing Incubation Centre at Tuensang.
But what will the centre actually mean for farmers?
Speaking to MT, General Manager, District Industries & Commerce, Mokokchung, B Asangla said the centre would undertake cleaning, sorting and processing of fruits and vegetables, with machinery installation now underway.
“If you bring your crops and sell it off to the Modern Aggregation Centre, you will get the price of your crops,” she said.
However, the exact modality of operation is still being worked out and could evolve as the project progresses, she added.
Asked about farmers from villages located farther from Longnak and whether the government would provide logistics and transportation, Asangla said the arrangements had not yet been finalised.
“We have not sorted out how to move on with the operation yet,” she said, adding that the project would come “step by step”.
The facility has since been decided to be handed over to a private entity, The Green Caravan.
Speaking to MT, Chairman of The Green Caravan Richard Belho said the centre was needed because Nagaland has been experiencing post-harvest wastage, while farmers have also faced logistical difficulties in getting their produce to markets.
He said the centre would focus on crops where farmers have surplus produce as well as produce that might otherwise be wasted.
Machinery installation has begun, he said, with the centre expected to process tomato, chilli, ginger, turmeric, soybean and tapioca, among other crops.
Tomatoes could be processed into pulp and different types of sauce, while chilli could be made into paste. Mustard oil production is also being considered.
Belho said tapioca could be particularly significant because its by-products could be converted into animal feed, which could help address some of the difficulties faced by entrepreneurs involved in pig rearing.
However, Belho said, water availability at the Longnak centre has also been a challenge and they have been trying to figure that out.
Belho described the Modern Aggregation Centre as a market linkage, saying the facility would also look for buyers for the processed products. He said companies, including Amul, had previously shown interest in Nagaland products and thus, he is hopeful.
He mentioned that the centre will also have its own brand, “Züng”.
The MoU with the Nagaland Government is for a limited period, Belho said.
He acknowledged that the initiative may or may not work, saying one of the biggest challenges was that there was no full-scale food production in Nagaland.
“But I believe when we attach a tag, a brand to the village, it gets better,” he said, citing Longsa chilli and Süngratsü Anishi as examples.
Belho said the centre would not be restricted to Longnak or nearby areas but would cater to the entire district and nearby villages or even the whole state. Where crops are available in bulk and in large quantities, the centre could itself go to farms and procure the produce, he said.
He also pointed out that Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) had been provided pickup trucks by the Government of India, which could help with aggregation and transportation.
For now, he said, sensitisation and awareness among farmers would be important as the centre moves towards operations.
The Longnak facility is part of the state’s wider plan to develop food-processing ecosystems based on local agricultural strengths. At the inauguration, Advisor for Industries & Commerce Hekani Jakhalu said the department envisioned replicating the model in all districts, with facilities based on their resources, agricultural strengths and local produce.
Jakhalu said the objective was not merely to install machinery but to establish functional food-processing ecosystems that would improve farmers’ income, generate employment, create profitable enterprises and strengthen local economies.
She said food processing should be viewed as a complete value chain linking farms, processing units and markets, with the focus on enabling local produce to be processed, packaged and marketed effectively.
At Longnak, machinery installation has now begun, while the arrangements for bringing produce to the centre and running its operations are still being worked out.