Lab boost to border trade
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 19 2012:
Among other consumable items import of dry betel nuts is said to have crossed the 100-truck load mark in less than a six month period since establishment of the Eastern Food Testing Laboratory in the State at Lamphelpat.
Under the Indo-Myanmar border trade regulation it is mandatory for all consumable items to undergo food laboratory tests for both import and export purposes between the neighbouring countries, according to a source.
In compliance with the trade regulations, a food testing laboratory called Eastern Region Food Testing Laboratory was set up in July this year at Lamphelpat premises of RD Wing under the aegis of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
Prior to this laboratory, consumable items used to be referred to a Guwahati-based laboratory before actual carriage of the goods, technically necessitating about 40 days to complete the process.
However, with the facility made available at Lamphelpat the testing rigours have been slashed to about only a week, said the source.
The fact that transportation of over 100-truck load of dry betel nuts have been achieved in such a short period is due to operationalisation of the Lamphelpat facility, trumped the source.