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Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, launched the "Arunachal Kiwi: The USP of Arunachal Pradesh" — a Cluster-based Kiwi Cultivation and Value Chain Development Mission — in New Delhi. With a financial outlay of approximately ?167 crore, the mission is designed through a whole-of-government and convergence-led approach, marking a significant step in building globally competitive agricultural value chains rooted in the Northeast's natural strengths.

Why Kiwi for Arunachal Pradesh?

• Arunachal Pradesh is India's largest kiwi-producing state and the first state in the country to receive organic kiwi certification under the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD-NER) in 2020.
• The state's high-altitude, organic agro-climatic conditions are ideal for producing premium-grade Hayward and Allison cultivars of kiwi — varieties with high domestic and export market value.
• Kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa, also called Chinese Gooseberry) thrives between 900–1,600 metres above mean sea level in warm, humid climates with well-distributed annual rainfall of around 150 cm and 700–800 chilling hours during winter — conditions naturally present across Arunachal's hill terrain.
• The fruit is a rich source of Vitamins B and C and minerals including phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, placing it in growing demand in health-conscious domestic and global markets.

Four Strategic Pillars of the Mission

The Arunachal Kiwi Mission is anchored on four pillars:

• Convergence: Integration of schemes across multiple ministries and departments to eliminate fragmented implementation and maximise fund utilisation.
• Value Addition: Moving beyond raw fruit production toward processed kiwi products — juices, jams, dried kiwi, nutraceuticals — to enhance farmer income and reduce post-harvest losses.
• Branding: Developing a distinct, recognisable identity for Arunachal kiwi in domestic and global markets — leveraging its organic certification as a premium differentiator.
• Market Integration: Creating structured supply chain linkages connecting farmers to retail, e-commerce, institutional buyers, and export channels.

Northeast's Unique Product Strategy: One State, One USP

The Arunachal Kiwi Mission is part of a broader DoNER strategy to identify one flagship agricultural or cultural product per Northeastern state with a distinct Unique Selling Proposition (USP):

• Mizoram — Ginger
• Nagaland — Coffee
• Sikkim — Organic Farming
• Manipur — Polo Heritage
• Assam — Muga Silk
• Meghalaya — Lakadong Turmeric
• Arunachal Pradesh — Kiwi

This state-specific, product-anchored approach reflects a shift from generic rural development to competitive, brand-led agricultural specialisation — a model aligned with global agri-value chain thinking.

Policy Context

The mission converges with several existing schemes:

• MOVCD-NER — organic value chain development specific to the Northeast.
• PM-KISAN and Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana — for farmer income support and food processing infrastructure.
• One District One Product (ODOP) — for cluster-level product specialisation.
• Agricultural Export Policy 2018 — for integrating Indian agricultural produce into global value chains.