Air cargo service takes flight

111 cartons of produce from Nagaland carried to Delhi

Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 2

The much-awaited air cargo services at Dimapur Airport was flagged off by Nagaland Chief Minister (CM) Neiphiu Rio, on March 2.

On the first day, the air cargo services carried 111 cartons of organic fruits and vegetables grown in Nagaland state straight to Delhi. It included perishable and non-perishable fruits and vegetables including some finished products.

Horticulture officials informed that authorities at Nagaland Bhawan Delhi would be organizing sales day on March 3 and 4 with the air cargo consignment from Nagaland to further popularize the new initiative.

Speaking at the inaugural event at Dimapur Airport premise on Tuesday, the CM said Nagaland is blessed with rich bio-diversity and a hot spot of a wide range of agro and horticulture products including organic fruits and vegetables, spices, plantation crops and exotic flowers.

But most of these products go waste due to lack of marketing avenues and linkages and inadequate infrastructure, Rio said and underscored the need to supply the surplus organic vegetables and horticulture products of the State to other parts of the country.

He also noted that many educated Naga youths are keen to take up modern farming and to produce organic vegetables and fruits.

In this regard, Rio said the agri and horticulture departments must not only engage in demonstration and pilot basis projects, but also encourage the upcoming entrepreneurs and farmers to be a vital part of the demand and supply link.

Stressing on the challenges ahead, Rio said that the farmers should produce consistently and the produce should reach the air cargo station in quickest time with least cost at the same time maintaining quality.

He also felt the need to educate the farmers and even the entrepreneurs through workshops or to have discussion to make them understand how better business can be done where farmers and the people who are involved in transporting from farms to air cargo station get their share of profits and the consumers are also satisfied.

The air cargo service is a joint initiative of the State Horticulture department and Airport Authority of India, Dimapur.

Regional executive director, AAI, North East Region, M Suresh, in his keynote address said though air cargo represents a small segment in terms of weight, it assumes significance in terms of value and its impact on the local economy as well as aviation industry.

Considering the importance of air cargo and the active interest and persuasion by the Government of Nagaland, AAI Dimapur submitted application to BCAS to permit cargo through terminal building and subsequently BCAS gave approval on February 22, the AAI official said.

Suresh also said that the movement of cargo through terminal building is only an interim measure and after considering the scale of outgoing cargo in the next few months, AAI may go for expansion of the facility with proper Common User Domestic Cargo Terminal and even other related facilities like cold storage.

In the regard, he requested the CM to allot additional land for construction of a new terminal building.

Advisor, Horticulture & Border Affairs, Government of Nagaland, Mhathung Yanthan, said the launching of air cargo services would have cascading effect on the economy of the State.

Yanthan said Nagaland has a lot of potential in selling its agro and horticulture products outside the state but due to lack of transport facilities and short shelf life of vegetables and horticulture produces, things have not kicked off. The advisor expressed optimism that with the introduction of the air cargo services, signature products of Nagaland which are in popular demand outside the State would be available in other parts of the country.

Earlier, Commissioner and Secretary, Horticulture, Anenla T Sato said it took three years of hard work and persuasion from the state government and AAI to finally persuade BCAS to approve the air cargo services.

Talking to a section of media persons on the sideline of the inaugural programme, Director, State Horticulture Department, Dr Elithung informed that a nodal agency would soon be set up for regular dispatch of products through air cargo.

He also said at present, both Air India and Indigo Airlines have agreed to accommodate 2 metric tons per day in their respective air cargo services.