Purchase local produce: Farmers’ body to public

SHILLONG, May 21: At a time when essential commodities such as fruits and vegetables are the limelight of the markets owing to the ongoing lockdown, the Meghalaya Farmers’ (Empowerment) Commission has appealed all consumers in Shillong and other towns of the state, to purchase only locally-grown produce of state’s farmers, especially during the lockdown period, to help the farming community in this trying times.
Chairman of the Commission, KN Kumar, said, “Public health measures like lockdowns are very much necessary to save lives, but they do have a definite impact on the livelihoods of the farming community”.
Stating that these ‘waves’ may not end so very soon, while reports about a next wave possibly affecting children and young people the most are doing rounds, Kumar stressed on consuming healthy vegetables and fruits grown locally by the farmers, adding that the district authorities allow home delivery of farm and dairy produce in Shillong.
He said that the Agriculture department and the East Khasi Hills District Cooperative Milk Union Ltd undertake this task with the help of the already-created networks of 1917iTEAMS and NARI Fresh, respectively.
Kumar said that orders can be placed over the phone for home delivery of vegetables, fruits, eggs, meat, milk and fish from local farmers/entrepreneurs registered with the 1917iTEAMS network and NARI Fresh, whose contact details have been shared with all the Rangbah Shnong of Shillong and Community COVID-19 Management Teams (CCMTs).
Orders can also be placed online via MeghaMart (www.meghamart.com/), or 1917iTEAMS (1917iteams.in/), NARI Fresh (narifresh.com/) and the Meghalaya COVID Information System (meghalayacovid.info/).