SHILLONG, July 5: Broomstick or broom grass — locally known as synsar — has been more than a crop for farmers of Rasong village under Mawkynrew C&RD Block for generations. It has been a quiet companion to families who cleared steep slopes, planted the resilient grass, and harvested its tall, feathery stalks by hand. Fathers passed the knowledge to their children: when to cut, how to bundle, and the dignity of earning a living from the land.
For residents of Rasong, broomstick cultivation became the steady thread that wove together daily meals, children’s school fees, medical emergencies and small dreams for a better tomorrow.
But that thread is fraying. For years now, broom grass prices have been falling sharply. What once offered a modest but dependable income has become unpredictable and insufficient.
Families who gave their best years to the crop now find themselves unable to plan ahead. The same land that sustained them is no longer enough on its own. Across many households, a painful realisation has set in: continuing to depend solely on broomstick risks leaving their children with even less.
It is against this backdrop of quiet struggle and hard choices that 23 farming families in Rasong took a hopeful step forward last week. In a simple but significant programme at Khmatlum Rasong, they received 5,000 black cardamom saplings — a move towards crop diversification that many see as a lifeline.
The saplings were distributed by Mawkynrew MLA Banteidor Lyngdoh and YoCa Spices Director Afu N.Y. Jana. The entire cost of the planting material was borne by the MLA, a gesture that touched many farmers who have been battling shrinking incomes.
Speaking to the gathering, Lyngdoh acknowledged the hardship written on the faces of the farmers. “The fall in broom prices has affected the income of many farming families,” he said. “Broom helped sustain the rural economy for many years, but dependence on a single crop has left people vulnerable. Black cardamom offers a chance to supplement earnings and build more stable livelihoods.”
His words echoed what many in Rasong have been feeling for some time. For households that have known only the rhythm of broom cultivation, the shift is both necessary and unsettling.
Jana assured the farmers that the soil and climate of Rasong are well suited for black cardamom. The crop, once established, requires relatively less maintenance and currently commands around Rs 800 per kilogram. Importantly, the company has committed to helping farmers access the market — removing one of the biggest worries for small growers venturing into a new crop.
For the 23 families who walked home with saplings in their hands, the conversation is no longer only about surviving the next harvest. It is also about what kind of legacy these families want to leave for their children — one of continued struggle with a single crop, or one where the land can support them in more ways than one.
