Narendra Modi's Swach Bharat weapon "broom" comes from Northeast India

GUWAHATI: The fodder of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious Swach Bharat mission comes from Northeast India. Northeast India owing to its favourable climatic conditions is the single largest producer of broom in the country.

The demand for broom is increasing following growing the craze of the clean India mission. The broom industry of the Northeast India is over Rs 100 Crore.

New cultivation of the broom is expected to come by December however government owned North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (Neramac) is flooded with inquiries from buyers from different cities of India including Delhi, Lucknow and Mumbai.

Northeast India roughly grows over 125,000 metric tones (MT) annually; large chunk of this stock is supplied to different areas of country where it gets packaged and sold in retail in market.

NERAMAC which procures broom sticks from farmers of the Northeast India sells roughly 100 to 200 tones every year. However in recent tender they have put 60 MT of open broom and over 1.5 lakh finished broom for sale.

Executive Director of NERAMAC, S Bhattacharjee told ET that there is very good response to our recent tender. "Prices have increased from Rs 60 per kg to Rs 81 per kg.

Meghalaya roughly accounts for 30,000 MT of broom, while Assam produces 20,000MT. Nagaland produces 25,000 MT, Mizoram 15,000MT, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim roughly accounts for 10,000MT and 25,000MT respectively.

Bhattacharjee added, "Trade inquiries have increased especially from different places across the country. The new produce of broom is expected to come in December. The sector is largely is unorganized. Seeing the demand to have to increase our sourcing from farmers."

Organised trade is taking place in Meghalaya and Mizoram. In Mizoram state government's flagship programme New Land Use Policy is opening marketing channels for the broom industry.

Hnam Chhantu Pawl, major broomsticks manufacturer in Mizoram has entered into an agreement with exporters from Delhi, Bihar, Maharashtra, Punjab and UK. Farmers in Mizoram have sent consignment of 40,000 broomsticks to Russia in 2011. Over 3583 farmers' households are involved in this sector in Mizoram alone.

Mizoram government has formed monitoring cell under the state government's flagship programme New Land Use Policy to monitor the progress and market the broom stick.

Jubed Ali, a trader dealing in broomstick in Assam's Jagriroad area said," The demand for broom from the region is growing. We pick up broomsticks from Meghalaya and sell as far as Punjab."

He added that broom is in fashion now. "Government sponsored cleanliness drive is adding glamour to the broomstick."

While BJP workers, government offices and officers are making hay of the Clean India mission with mint fresh broom in their hand, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi to launched his model of "Nirmal Assam" giving another fillip to the industry.

Zakir Zaman a retailer in Guwahati, "The prices of broomstick bunch in retail market have increased by Rs 5 to Rs 10. Earlier I use to sell around 30 pieces in a month now I am selling over 45 pieces." (Eom)