Union minister Chirag Paswan, CM Conrad Sangma inaugurate Meghalya Pavilion at WFI 2025

Shillong, Sep 26 (PTI) Union Food Processing minister Chirag Paswan and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday inaugurated the Meghalaya Pavilion at the World Food India (WFI) 2025 in New Delhi.

The pavilion features innovative farming techniques, grassroots value chains, and a robust export infrastructure demonstrating Meghalaya's potential for agricultural self-sufficiency and global competitiveness.

Paswan lauded the state's progress, noting the Centre's continued support for Meghalaya's organic initiatives.

"Meghalaya's organic Lakadong turmeric has gained global recognition, reflecting the state's growing influence in the organic market," he said.

The CM, while emphasising the state's efforts to empower farmers and rural entrepreneurs, urged them to seize opportunities presented by platforms like WFI.

"We facilitate, but the transformation depends on your hard work," Sangma stated, underscoring the importance of local effort.

At the WFI 2025, the state introduced the "Meghalaya Collectives' Organic" brand to promote its premium organic products, including Lakadong turmeric, Khasi mandarin, Sohiong (blackberry), and Kew pineapple.

This launch marks a key step in enhancing the state's export strategy, particularly with the signing of four MoUs between MEGNOLIA, the state's marketing platform, and leading industry players, including Lulu Group Retail, The Staple Kaka, Plantrich Agri Tech Pvt Ltd, and Treta Agro Pvt Ltd. These partnerships aim to improve market access in both Indian and Gulf markets.

Meghalaya's Organic Mission 2024-28 aims to certify one lakh hectares by 2028, with an outlay of Rs 250 crore. Currently, over 24,000 hectares have been certified, benefiting more than 40,000 farmers. Central to this progress is the state's Community Public Private Partnership (CPPP) model, which fosters collaboration between farmers, local communities, and private investors.

As part of this initiative, the state has launched eight PRIME Hubs, which have attracted Rs 220 crore in investment. These hubs support 15,000 farmers and have created over 1,500 jobs. By 2031-32, Meghalaya plans to expand to 55 PRIME Hubs, with an estimated total investment of Rs 550 crore, benefiting 3.4 lakh farmers and creating 11,000 jobs.

Since 2022, Meghalaya has been successfully exporting organic products, such as pineapples, mandarins, and ginger, to the Middle East.

Earlier this year, the state shipped 15 metric tonne of organic ginger and 20 metric tonne of GI-tagged Khasi mandarin to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, positioning its products as premium offerings in the global organic market. PTI JOP RG