Saiha grows Mara mandarin orange — small, intensely sweet, with a 6-week harvest. A small juice + marmalade unit captures the post-harvest surplus and converts it to shelf-stable SKUs that ship year-round.
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Saiha district's Mara mandarin is genuinely distinctive — smaller than Nagpur orange, more aromatic, with a brief but intense harvest. The current market is largely fresh-fruit sale at variable prices. A small unit producing single-strength juice, concentrate, and marmalade absorbs surplus, smooths farmer income, and creates premium D2C SKUs for the orange-from-the-frontier story.
Capex of ₹6–14 lakh covers a fruit washer, juicer, pasteuriser, and bottling line. PMFME's micro-enterprise grant (₹10 lakh ceiling, 35% subsidy) and MIDH's horticulture infrastructure scheme cover most of the capex. The hard parts: brand-building against established orange juice brands (Mara mandarin needs to be clearly differentiated), pasteurisation and shelf-life certification (cold-chain to mainland is expensive), and short harvest window. Start with marmalade and concentrate (longer shelf life, easier logistics); fresh juice can follow when D2C cold-chain is mature.
Eligible schemes
Indicative only — final eligibility depends on promoter category, location, and the bank's credit policy. The DPR generator spells out exact subsidy quanta for your specific case.
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