SHILLONG, May 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded a Ri Bhoi-based entrepreneur while calling him an “inspiration” to the farmer fraternity.
The prime minister heaped praises on Revistar Kharumnuid, CEO of Eastern Ri Bhoi Organic Producer Company Ltd, formed under Centre’s Mission Organic Value Chain Development of North Eastern Region.
During the interaction, the premier was impressed with the enterprising spirit of Kharumnuid and the farmers under the farmer producer company.
The prime minister, during the discussion, asked Karumnuid if he is also engaged in processing his organic produces.
To this, Karumnuid replied in affirmative, saying he sells the produces to retail chains and companies as a result of which he gets better prices than local mandis.
Karumnuid also informed that his company, which grows ginger and turmeric with its support base of 500 farmers, is even willing to export their produces as there is a huge demand for Meghalaya’s organic products.
Moved by Kharumnuid’s response, the prime minister said that an entrepreneur like Kharumnuid is an inspiration to farmers as he proves that a farmer, when connected to business, avails more benefits.
Stating that small farming organisations should make more income, Modi also enquired about the assistance which he has received from the government.
Kharumnuid, during the interaction, expressed gratitude to the premier and the state government for the benefits that the company and the farmer fraternity have received.
It may be mentioned the Eastern Ri Bhoi Organic Producer Company Ltd has 500 farmer under it, covering 16 villages in Ri Bhoi. The focus of these farmers is farming organic ginger and other organic intercrops.
Apart from this, its produces are also sold on e-commerce platforms like India Mart.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma took to Twitter and called Karumnuid Meghalaya’s Organic Farmer.
Conrad also informed that Meghalaya Government has sanctioned an interest subvention of two per cent, amounting to Rs 4.12 crore, to over 26,540 farmers in 2020-21.
Earlier in the day, the prime minister released the eighth instalment of over Rs 20,000 crore to more than 9.5 crore farmer beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme.
Under the scheme, the Centre is providing Rs 6,000 in three equal instalments to 14 crore farmers annually. The amount is directly transferred into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries through direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode. (With Inputs from PTI)
