Shillong: The biggest Northeast Food Show began on Thursday at Polo, Shillong, with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang as chief guests of the event.
The three-day event will provide a platform to farmers and entrepreneurs to showcase their products, and interact with buyers and traders.
Meghalaya, in collaboration with SIAL, the world’s No. 1 Food Innovation Network, had organised the first event in the state in 2019. This is the second edition of the mega food exhibition show, where buyers and sellers from different parts of the region and South East Asian nations are participating.
Different stalls selling bakery items, wine, honey, tea leaves, local vegetables, frozen meat and Meghalaya’s famous Lakadong turmeric, among others, have been set up at the exhibition.
EastMojo interacted with Padma Shri Trinity Saioo who was earlier giving a tour of how Lakadong turmeric is prepared from scratch.
Saioo expressed gratitude towards the government for organising the show. Humbly mentioning that she has been recognised widely, she said this show will help her in reaching out to more buyers at large.
This year’s North East Food Show stall that attracted several people was the Lakadong pavilion with a thatched roof and a makeshift hut-like structure. Farmers from Lakadong were attending to prospective buyers and visitors, showing how the turmeric is made from scratch.
Saioo said in 2019 it was a small stall but this year with the huge setup, all the farmers under Mission Lakadong are working together to showcase the brand.
Speaking at the inaugural session, the Chief Minister said, “The Northeast Food Show has given a platform for entrepreneurs and farmers of the state and the northeast access to international markets.”
“This Northeast Food Show is a great platform to bring different stakeholders together and increase the value of agri-horti products,” he added.
Co-founder and managing director of Nagaland Coffee, Vivito Yeptho told EastMojo that this food show has been really impactful for their company. “It helps us to connect with people and bring B2B in a very important role. It also helps us to expand our brand to other parts of India,” said Yeptho.
Chef Joel Basumatari, owner of Saucy Joe’s, also echoed similar opinion. The chef said it gives them a platform where people get first-hand experience of tasting their product then deciding whether it is good or not, and whether to buy or not.
The chief minister said the event is not only a food show but a platform where entrepreneurs, farmers, cooperative societies and Self Help Groups (SHGs) can grow exponentially. “This show is a culmination of all the activities and processes in farming, production, packaging and entrepreneurship so that value is added to the final product to be able to compete with the best in the world,” Sangma added.
Sikkim is a ‘Participating State’ in the Northeast Food Show. “The Northeast is blessed with rich agro diversity. Through this show, different states of the region will be able to share their agriculture experience and collaborate for the progress of our great nation,” Tamang said.
He also lauded efforts of the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the thrust for the progress and development of the Northeastern region.
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