Governor N Ravi emphasised that the state government needs to promote these unique products nationally and globally to get enough buyers for their product.
Kohima: To promote unique products from the state of Nagaland, Governor R.N. Ravi on Monday released a special cover of the Naga Tree Tomato at the Kohima Raj Bhavan. Naga tree tomatoes, an egg sized-fruit and taste like a normal tomato, are wildly popular across Nagaland.
The Nagaland government got a certificate for Geographical Indication (GI) for the tree tomato in 2015.
However, despite the GI tag, the fruit never gained any popularity outside the state. Launching the special cover by the postal department, Governor N Ravi said that this type of effort would make sure that consumers buy a genuine product from a particular place. He also emphasised that the state government needs to promote these unique products nationally and globally to get enough buyers for their product.
With a special cover to counter this problem, the state government has now decided to promote the product with the help of the postal department. Accordingly, special covers have been released to promote all the 19 products from Nagaland which have received the GI tag, including the "Naga Mircha" and the "Chakesang Shawl".
According to the state government, the special cover on the Naga Tree tomato will also be put on display at the National Philatelic Museum in New Delhi.
Speaking on occasion, Governor R.N. Ravi hailed the move and said this initiative would ensure that the fruit receives global and national attention. The governor also mentioned that the Naga traditional attire catches the people's eyes nationally and globally, and proper measures should be taken to promote it.
It should be mentioned that the postal department last month released a special cover on the unique flavoured Karbi Anglong Ginger, which also received the GI tag in 2015. The Naga tree tomato is high in pectin fibre, a natural preservative that can make jellies, jams and chutney.
The pectin level is as high as 5 per cent, which is higher than apples, apricots, cherries, oranges and carrots. It is also rich in antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and is an excellent source of calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium.
