How a Guwahati firm exported hill pepper from Arunachal to France

Guwahati: Guwahati firm ‘Jeevanksh’ has exported 200 kilograms of the Assam pepper found in the wild of Arunachal Pradesh foothills to France. This variety of pepper used as an ingredient for soups in Arunachal Pradesh, is likely to be used to season game meat and in salads in France.

The British first discovered this variety of pepper and named it ‘Assam’ as present-day Arunachal Pradesh was a part of the state in those days. The pepper shipped by Jeevanksh, says its founder Gunajit Brahma, was collected in the East Siang district of the frontier state and procured through suppliers in Dibrugarh district in Assam. “For forthcoming shipments, we intend to procure the pepper from the farmers themselves”, he said.

The French client – whose name Brahma did not disclose – initially entered into talks to buy the pepper in 2021. However, it was not until 2023 that Jeevansh was given the go-ahead to ship the product. “Our samples were approved by the client last year in October. They paid us half of the agreed sum as an advance and we began processing the order.”

The process, however, ran into hiccups, apparently due to a lack of a Customs Office for dry items in Guwahati.

“It is because it is the first time this particular item is going out of the country”, Brahma underlined. Typically, European clients purchase the hill pepper from Nepal where shipping laws are not as stringent. “If you wish to export dry edibles from the Northeast, you have to go to metros like Kolkata, Delhi, or Mumbai for final approvals – that is a bottleneck that we want to solve.” 

In the first week of February, Brahma flew to New Delhi and approached the Plant Quarantine office under the Agriculture department to clear the path to shipping. Certifications are mandatory for edible items to be shipped overseas to ensure that they meet the standards and are free from germs and other contaminants. “After the quality inspection and certification, we sent the documents to the client, paving the way for export.”

“The material is now being readied for shipping; we have already received the shipping documents”, Brahma said. “A little bit of paperwork is still pending and the pepper is likely to be flown to France this coming week.”

Brahma, an alumnus of IIM-Indore, said he decided to opt for entrepreneurship instead of sitting for placements as he wanted to “promote healthy, organic, and eco-friendly products drawn directly from the majestic Himalayan foothills of Northeast India.” He got the courage, encouragement, and support from his peers and professors to follow his dreams.

“I started Jeevanksh in 2012”, he said. “Initially, we were based in Mumbai, but I eventually shifted base to the Northeast owing to the region’s immense potential in agriculture.” The firm has previously exported Lakadong turmeric and ground ginger from Meghalaya to clients in other European countries – the UK, Netherlands, France, and Lithuania.

The Northeast India region is considered a hub of major spices like large cardamom, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, chilli, and bay leaf due to its rich biodiversity. According to the Spices Board, a body under the central government, spices worth Rs 7.15 crore were exported from the region in 2021-22.

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