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Meghalaya is blessed with naturally fertile soil that supports a variety of fruits. However, in rural areas, nearly half these fruits go to waste due to low prices and lack of market access, leaving farmers with minimal earnings. This challenge led to a transformational initiative in the South West Garo Hills region of Kerupara, spearheaded by Mr. Salbison, who sought to add value to local produce through processing.

Setting up a Processing Unit

Formation of Kerupara IVCS

Determined to improve market opportunities for farmers, MBMA’s MLAMP Project officially established Kerupara IVCS on September 24, 2019. The group started with 15 members, including 5 women, providing a platform for collective progress.

Impact on Local Villages

The IVCS covered four villages—Kerupara, Chopapara, Megapgre, and Santogre—benefiting 400 households with a population of around 700. As awareness grew, more farmers joined, eager to take advantage of better market opportunities and reduced fruit wastage.

In a small village of Meghalaya, where people have to walk long distances to reach markets or get basic items, a village decided to solve a problem in its own unique way. Aruakgre, a village in North Garo Hills, is about 13 km from the nearest weekly market and over 30 km from the nearest town. The villagers faced a challenge that many people often ignore finding affordable slipper for everyday use.

 To solve this problem, the Songchet Nangrime, Integrated Village Cooperative Society (IVCS) Ltd. came up with a great idea. In July 2024, they started their own slipper making unit in the village.

Most households in the area fall under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category. In many cases, residents would continue using damaged footwear by replacing broken straps, but even strap replacements are unavailable locally. They have to wait for the weekly market to access even such basic items.

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In many rural areas, livestock plays an important role in supporting household incomes, often alongside small-scale farming. However, access to even basic services remains limited. There are not always trained individuals nearby who can carry out simple procedures or offer timely support when problems arise.

Mr. Midros Rngkhlem is a hardworking man from Wapung Shnong village in East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya. His story is one of struggle, hope, and success. Today, he is a well-known Service Provider (SP) and a piggery farmer. Before becoming a Service Provider, Mr. Rngkhlem worked as a daily wage labourer. From 2013 to 2021, he worked as a head mystri, constructing quite a number of houses. But over time, he felt that this job would not help him grow personally or financially.

Established in November 2017, Umdihar IVCS Ltd. caters to 136 Households with 471 active shareholders. As of January 2025, the IVCS has a share capital of INR 94,500 with 210 savers and deposits of INR 20,83,865.00. It has been active in micro lending and has granted loans of INR 9,51,000.00 to 106 members.

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES: PLANTING SEEDS OF CHANGE

The Government of Meghalaya, understanding the need for a paradigm shift, initiated efforts to boost productivity. Scientific cultivation of Mauritius and MD2 varieties of pineapples became a focal point, aiming to enhance both quality and quantity. Simultaneously, there was a push to establish multiple cooperative-owned processing units within the state, addressing issues of remoteness, low shelf life, and fostering increased trade and demand within Meghalaya.

MILESTONE ACHIEVED

Umdihar IVCS, in collaboration with IQF Pvt. Ltd., manufactured frozen pineapple slices at its PRIME Hub facility in Ri Bhoi. These Frozen slices are then further processed to become cubes and dices in baby foods that are exported to Europe. In this ongoing initiative, IVCS is the procurement and infrastructure partner, while IQF Pvt Ltd. is the technology partner.

OUTCOMES

• Strengthening of supply chain, where market moves closer to home.
• Permanence in procurement pattern thus incentivizes farmers to practice scientific agriculture.
• Opportunity for farmers to learn and market the produce themselves.
• Capacity building of the Co-ops to execute harvesting and procurement plans.
• Skilled manpower in processing.
• With successful technology transfer, opportunity to run the enterprise on a franchise model.

LOOKING AHEAD: A FUTURE ROOTED IN INNOVATION

The success story of Um

The Rongkhugre B Integrated Village Cooperative Society Ltd. (IVCS) in Rongkugre, West Khasi Hills district, is where women have assumed pivotal roles in decision-making to guide their community towards sustainable development with a visionary and proactive approach. Since its inception, this IVCS has flourished under their direction, showcasing the power of women empowerment in an enabling environment. Their commitment has led to key achievements, such as improved water supply, enhanced agricultural practices, and boosted economic activities. Among these remarkable women is Dorina N.

Under her leadership, the IVCS began to flourish. Her hands-on approach and ability to unite the community around common goals revitalized the cooperative society.

One of the most significant changes observed in the village is the aforementioned improvement in water supply, which has historically struggled with water security, especially during the dry seasons. Through Megha-LAMP’s interventions of community-led integrated NRM activities, the community constructed three check dams and ten ring wells to bring water to doorsteps.

Despite the lack of organized business activities in the village, Dorina recognized potential for growth. Many villagers ran individual shops and engaged in the areca nut trade, ginger farming, and broom grass businesses. As a Group Facilitator, she supported them by regularly monitoring their progress and linking them to sources of funding, market connections, and schemes.

The village community of Siju in South Garo Hills District faced numerous challenges in sustaining livelihoods. It primarily relied on fishing and agriculture but was struggling to cope with market developments and inflation due to poor price realization and marketing opportunities. Individual farmers would operate independently, which led to unequal sales distribution and substantial waste, and with the local village market serving as the only selling platform, profits were expectedly limited.

The establishment of the Gangga IVCS Ltd. has since gone a long way in alleviating these challenges. In December 2019, the IVCS was formed and registered with 15 member shareholders. In the years that followed, the members engaged in community mobilization for strengthening membership while the project provided continuous support in the form of training, capacity building, exposure, and knowledge services.

Key Highlights:

• Area Covered:6 villages, with all 295 households participating.
• Membership:600 shareholders.
• Managing Committee: 10 members, including 4 women.
• Financial Details:
  1. Share capital: Rs. 4.45 lakhs.
  2. Total savings: Rs. 74.32 lakhs.
  3. Total loan sanctioned: Rs.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma formally inaugurated the Sustainable Land Management Meghalaya Project (SLM) and unveiled the Protection of Vulnerable Catchment Areas in Meghalaya (MegARISE) for the Umiew Catchment at a programme held at the State Convention Centre, Shillong, on 1 October 2024, organized jointly by the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) and the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA). These externally aided projects (EAP) are co-funded by Germany’s KfW Development Bank and the Government of Meghalaya.

He noted that the successful launch of the SLM project and the unveiling of MegARISE were results of careful planning and preparation over the past 5-6 years. The current stage is critical as ground work would soon commence at full-scale to achieve the desired outcomes in line with the established targets.

She also emphasized that these practices will help mitigate the impacts of climate change on natural resources. Dr. Lyngdoh called for collaboration between farmers and the state government to ensure a better future for the next generation, protecting natural forests and resources. She urged farmers not to rely solely on the government for grievance redress but to work together in partnership, trusting in the support of international funding agencies such as KfW, which aims to empower farmers by creating or strengthening existing platforms for their benefit.

As part of the programme, three community members shared their experiences with farming. Teimon Shylla from the LIFE Spices Processing Cooperative Society Ltd. in Laskein and Laiwilberth Sangma from Jamge Nengbal, East Garo Hills, both spoke about the successes they achieved in farming with the support of the SLM project. The third speaker, Winchester Nongbet from Mylliem Block, shared his journey as a beneficiary of the MegARISE project.

A programme celebrating the communities of Meghalaya for their efforts toward community- driven progress and livelihood improvement took place on November 29, 2024, at the State Convention Centre in Shillong. Named Community Talks, the event, now in its second edition, was organized by the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) as part of the Meghalaya Livelihoods and Access to Markets Project (Megha-LAMP), an Externally Aided Project of the Government of Meghalaya supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Speaking at the event, Shri Gunanka D.B., IFS, Joint Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya and Executive Director of the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA), underscored the centrality of communities to developmental initiatives in Meghalaya. He emphasized the importance of collaboration, noting that such efforts are sustainable only when communities are actively involved.

In his address, Nirajan Khadka from IFAD emphasized the significance of learning and knowledge exchange and the role of community gatherings as platforms for collaboration and shared progress. He reaffirmed IFAD's commitment to empowering farmers and advancing rural development, particularly by supporting smallholders, marginalized groups, and inclusive growth.

The event witnessed participation from over 300 community members across the State, officials from various state government departments, and representatives of development agencies.

Like many farmers across the East Jaintia Hills district, Kyrsiew Ryngkhlem from Wapung Skur Village struggled to sustain livelihood activities and support her family on account of farmlands becoming infertile because of coal mining.

But after seeing how well it worked, she wanted to expand activities and explore the potential of her homemade organic manure. She bought a plot of uncultivable land measuring approximately 700 sq. meters in 2015. Kyrsiew was convinced that the experiment would in due course result in soil health restoration and water retention. She started by tilling the ground and using limestone to neutralize the acidity of the contaminated soil, and waited patiently.