Bringing delight to the admirers of indigenous fruits, farmers in Assam have been able to export a batch of Burmese grapes, locally called Leteku in Assamese, to Dubai.
The Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated the first-ever shipment of ‘Leteku’ from Guwahati to Dubai through New Delhi.
The consignment of ‘Leteku’ was sourced from Darrang district of Assam and was packed at a collection centre there before it was exported.
APEDA is expecting a positive response from the market for ‘Leteku’ given its overall health benefits.
APEDA chairman M Angamuthu told the Times of India: “The fruit makes a very pretty sight hanging in bunches all along the bark and the branches like tree ornaments. It is rich in vitamin C and iron. It is available in the Northeast but we knew little that it could be exported.”
He even said that APEDA is working towards promoting more medicinal and exotic fruits from the Northeast that have very high nutritional value but aren’t popularized enough in other Indian states either.
So far, APEDA has enabled exports of Assamese red rice known as ‘Bao-dhaan’ to the United States, Assam lemon known as ‘kaji nemu’, and jackfruits drawn from Krishi Sanyoga Agro Producer Company Ltd of Tripura to London.
The governmental body has also rolled out financial assistance to the private sector to build a comprehensive packaging house in Guwahati and is also simultaneously developing structured marketing strategies for export of food products and subsequent skill development, high-quality packaging and ramping up capacity.
