GUWAHATI
A government-run agency in Arunachal Pradesh has started a mission to help high-altitude farmers supply farm-fresh vegetables and fruits in bulk to armed forces personnel across the State.
On July 3, the Arunachal Pradesh Agricultural Marketing Board (APAMB) sent a consignment of vegetables to the 59th Battalion of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) stationed at Nafra in the newly created Bichom district. The district’s Deputy Commissioner, Bopai Puroik, flagged off the consignment under the ‘Mission Arun Himveer’ initiative.
This initiative between the APAMB and the ITBP is the second such, after ‘Mission Krishi Veer’ was launched in August 2022 for personnel of the Indian Army and other paramilitary forces.
“We envisage Mission Arun Himveer as a bridge between our hard-working farmers and the valiant personnel guarding our borders. It entails procuring farm products from local farmers, self-help groups, farmer-producer organisations, and farmer cooperatives,” Mr. Puroik said.
The mission warrants the consistent supply of fresh, high-quality, organic, and locally grown vegetables to ITBP personnel deployed in remote and high-altitude posts. By establishing a direct market link between the armed forces and farmers, the mission seeks to ensure local farmers have a sustainable source of income.
The initiative reflects a model of self-reliance and mutual support aimed at reducing dependence on long supply lines and intermediaries, ensuring freshness, fair pricing, and timely delivery of farm products.
Terrain-handicapped farmers in Arunachal Pradesh have long struggled to produce perishable items in large quantities due to poor market linkage and the dominance of large-scale, non-organic producers in adjoining Assam, Bihar, and West Bengal.
At least 50,000 armed forces personnel are stationed in Arunachal Pradesh’s Kameng Sector (includes the Bichom, East Kameng, Tawang, and West Kameng districts) and another 50,000 in the rest of the State.
APAMB officials stated that the demand from the Indian Army is for about 17 tonnes of fruits and 23 tonnes of vegetables per day. Some 8-10% of these were sourced from farmers in Arunachal Pradesh until 2022.
The State has 1.17 lakh farmers, cultivating about 5.4 lakh hectares, and producing more than 330 tonnes of fruits and 390 tonnes of vegetables per day.
