SHILLONG, JUN 19: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday called the newly inaugurated organic spice processing plant in Ri-Bhoi a “game-changing initiative” for farmers, and credited eight years of targeted support for lifting rural incomes across the state.
Speaking at the event alongside Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Sangma thanked her for backing Northeast development.
He said the state government’s focus since 2018 has been on practical upgrades for farmers: better infrastructure, market access, training, and value addition instead of one-size-fits-all schemes.
“We’ve built on what farmers already do well — their traditional practices — and added financial support, technical expertise and market linkages to community groups that are committed,” he said.
Sangma noted that Meghalaya now has 11 operational processing units that together support nearly 55,000 farmers and their families.
“Small, focused interventions can create big changes in livelihoods and rural income,” he added. He recalled the FM’s earlier advice on logistics, exports and value addition, saying the state has since worked to improve cold chains, product quality and shelf life to reach bigger markets.He also flagged growing cooperation among Northeastern states.
“The region today has political stability, stronger institutions and real momentum. Under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Northeast is moving in step with the rest of India and contributing to national growth,” Sangma said.
Meghalaya Agriculture Secretary Vijay Kumar D. called the inauguration a milestone for the state’s 3.6 lakh farming families.
He said the Ri-Bhoi unit could raise participating farmers’ incomes by almost 50% in one season by cutting post-harvest losses and improving market links.
“This shows world-class agri infrastructure can be built even in remote areas,” he said. Kumar highlighted Meghalaya’s community PPP model: government funds investment, private partners bring tech and market access, and farmer institutions handle ownership and sustainability. Backed by MOVCDNER, MIDH, the state government and IFAD, he said the model proves convergence funding can create farmer-owned, market-driven enterprises.
The facility is run by Eastern Ri-Bhoi Organic Farmer Producer Company, a group of ∼500 organic farmers from 9 villages organized into 26 Farmer Interest Groups.
Over the years the FPC has built collection centers, cold storage, vermicompost units, custom hiring centers and transport to support end-to-end organic farming.
With this plant, Meghalaya aims to strengthen its position as a hub for premium organic produce, using farmer-led institutions and value addition to make smallholder farming commercially viable across the Northeast.
