Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has credited the sharp rise in areca nut prices this year to the state’s sustained crackdown on smuggling from neighbouring Myanmar. Addressing an areca nut festival at Rengtei in Mamit district on December 8, he said coordinated action by police, district administrations and civil society organisations since his government assumed office in December 2023 had yielded “visible and encouraging results”.
The chief minister noted that Mizoram had just experienced its most profitable year for areca nut cultivation. He said the crop was planted across roughly 30,000 hectares last year, generating close to two lakh quintals. While final figures for the current harvest are still awaited, early indicators suggest that growers will once again receive strong returns.
Lalduhoma said the government had prioritised expanding areca nut cultivation as market linkages improved and smuggling routes were curbed. He emphasised that the crop played a crucial role in the state’s rural economy and would continue to gain prominence if illegal cross-border trade remained controlled. Enhanced yields in recent years have further encouraged farmers to expand their plantations, he added.
To strengthen the sector, the chief minister said areca nut growers were eligible for state loans as well as financial support under the flagship Handholding Scheme. A processing unit set up at Buhchangphai in Kolasib district, near the Assam border, is expected to begin operations soon, helping improve marketability and boost income for farmers. Two more processing centres are being established at Zawmang in Mamit and Chempai in Kolasib at a combined cost of ₹7.43 crore under North Eastern Council funding.
Lalduhoma also announced that 170 kilometres of link roads would be built across several districts to connect areca nut plantations with rubber-growing regions and broomstick cultivation belts. The state has additionally secured ₹7.26 crore from NABARD and submitted further proposals under the States for Capital Investment (SACI) scheme to enhance agricultural infrastructure.
Officials reported that areca nut harvested in parts of Mamit bordering Tripura and Bangladesh is currently fetching more than ₹50 per litre this season, reinforcing farmer confidence in the crop’s growing economic potential.
