A post-Covid Meghalaya would demand resourceful thinking and revisiting past priorities. Tourism as a revenue earner has taken a major hit and is not going to take off for a while now. Hence the hundreds of home-stays that have mushroomed in every part of the state have to now think of attracting local visitors. But this would also require that tour operators wear new sets of lenses. The tried and tested adventure sports such as kayaking, caving et al that used to draw enthusiastic international visitors will now have to sell such products to the local populace. This would require repackaging of products and thinking of new ones that are more adapted to local tastes. The package would have to be tailored such that visitors stay back at different destinations so that the home-stays get into business sooner than later.
Policies for agriculture, horticulture, apiculture, pisciculture, animal husbandry et al must now be remodelled to ensure food security. The pandemic has shown up our deficiencies. Our reliance on other states for vegetables, fish, chicken, goat, pigs, beef cattle and eggs has not reduced despite several attempts at local farming. This requires a study to detect the lapses. The death of swarms of bees in South West Khasi Hills has been attributed by some to the use of pesticides. The bees are now being tested at the ICAR. Hopefully we should get the results soon. If the cause of mass death of bees is indeed on account of pesticide use then Meghalaya’s claim of going organic – a claim that successive governments have made – is actually a farce.
The presence of the ICAR in Meghalaya should have resulted in some tangible results but that is yet to be seen. The mandarin orange has been ailing from Citrus canker a bacterial infection coupled with fungal disease for several years now. The growers have been looking for organic cure but neither ICAR nor other agricultural research institutions have been able to come up with an effective cure. In the midst of the pandemic, strawberry growers have still managed to sell their products because there are ready buyers. But a better marketing strategy might have helped farmers not to go for distress sales. A greater focus on agriculture and horticulture also means more feet on the ground and not officers tied to their desks. The lab-to land and land-to-lab transfer of technology is still at a nascent stage. The State Government needs to make better use of an Institution that is meant to address the needs of farmers in the whole region. Cross-learning is perhaps not happening between the State Agriculture and Horticulture Department and the ICAR. Agriculture and horticulture and not extractive industries is the way forward for Meghalaya.