From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Sep 28: Meghalaya showcased its growing strength in organic farming and farm-to-market innovation at World Food India 2025, the country’s premier food processing event, which concluded here on Sunday.
As one of the focused states, Meghalaya showed transformation of its Organic Mission 2024-28, which aims to certify one lakh hectares under organic cultivation by 2028, backed by ₹250 crore in funding. So far, 24,000 hectares have been certified, and over 40,000 farmers have been integrated into organic value chains.
Officials said the model is being powered by the Community Public Private Partnership framework that blends community ownership, government capital, and private technology. Flagship initiatives, export-oriented value chains and community-driven processing models that are positioning Meghalaya as a rising organic hub were among the themes.
Eight PRIME Hubs are already functional, with investments of over ₹220 crore, processing 6,000 kg of produce daily, benefiting 15,000 farmers and generating 1,500 jobs. The state plans to expand the network to 55 hubs by 2032, alongside 40 large units and 540 micro-units, officials said.
A new umbrella brand, “Meghalaya Collectives – Organic”, was also launched, bringing together the state’s signature products. These include Lakadong turmeric, Khasi mandarin, Sohiong, and Kew pineapple under a single market-ready identity designed to enhance farmer incomes and improve visibility in premium domestic and international markets.
To boost exports, Meghalaya signed four memoranda of understanding with Lulu Group Retail, The Staple Kaka, Plantrich Agri Tech, and Treta Agro (Just Organic). These partnerships will strengthen market linkages in Gulf Cooperation Council nations and key Indian cities.
Since 2022, the state has shipped organic pineapples, mandarins and ginger to Dubai and other West Asian markets. In 2025, Meghalaya exported more than 20 metric tonnes of Khasi mandarin and undertook its first sea shipment of 15 metric tonnes of ginger, marking a significant step in consolidating its place in India’s food export basket.
Spread across 1,00,000 square metres with more than 2,000 exhibitors from over 90 countries, World Food India underscored India’s ambition to emerge as a global food hub. Meghalaya strongly positioned itself at the forefront of the organic movement, officials said.
The mega event concluded with investment commitments exceeding ₹100,000 crore, marking one of the largest announcements in India’s food processing sector. Over the four-day event, 26 leading domestic and international companies signed MoUs.
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries said that these agreements are expected to generate direct employment for over 64,000 people and create indirect opportunities for more than 10 lakh individuals. The ministry highlighted that the investments have a pan-India footprint, spanning multiple states and diverse segments such as dairy, meat and poultry, packaged foods, beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), spices, condiments, confectionery, edible oils, fruits and vegetables, and ready-to-eat products.
