Mizoram govt procures ginger worth over Rs 95 crore from farmers under Bana Kaih Scheme

The Mizoram government has procured over 3.45 lakh quintals of ginger, valued at more than ₹95 crore, from farmers under its flagship handholding programme, Bana Kaih, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister PC Vanlalruata informed the Assembly on Thursday.

The minister noted that between January 20 and June 30 this year, the government spent ₹95.28 crore as support price for the raw ginger, while about ₹45 crore is still pending for release to farmers. The produce was purchased at ₹50 per kg at designated secondary collection centres and sold to companies through an auction system, giving preference to the highest bidders. However, the government received only ₹12.78 crore from these sales.

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Vanlalruata highlighted challenges faced during procurement, including instances where non-ginger farmers allegedly purchased ginger from Myanmar and sold it to the government for profit. Assistance has been sought from the Centre under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), and pending payments to farmers are expected to be released soon.

The Bana Kaih scheme, launched in September 2024, covers five key crops: ginger, turmeric, chilli, broomsticks, and unhusked rice. Purchasing these crops was a major poll plank of the ruling Zoram People's Movement (ZPM). For the 2025-26 fiscal year, the government has allocated ₹350 crore for the scheme, a 75% increase from ₹200 crore in 2024-25.