SHILLONG, July 27: To end the cycle of seasonal distress sales that leave Meghalaya’s farmers at the mercy of brokers, a new technology-driven initiative is deploying drones and establishing a massive 1,000-acre marketing hub in Sohra to push local organic produce into global premium markets.
The North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, is trying to change that through a technology-driven organic farming programme.
Nearly 5,000 farmers across the state have been brought under the initiative to promote certified organic cultivation and build a sustainable value chain.
As part of the programme, 55 farmland clusters have been identified across Meghalaya.
Around 100 lead farmers associated with these clusters will receive specialised training at NECTAR’s demonstration farms and undergo third-party organic certification—a key requirement for accessing premium domestic and international markets. Technology is at the heart of the programme.
NECTAR is conducting drone surveys across the identified farmland to generate high-resolution maps, GPS-based farm boundaries and crop-health assessments. The data will help in scientific farm planning, monitoring crop growth and improving productivity while maintaining organic standards.
The initiative also addresses what farmers say is their biggest concern—not production, but marketing.
NECTAR will facilitate market linkages so that certified organic produce reaches organised buyers, helping farmers earn better prices while reducing dependence on middlemen.
Adding another major boost, NECTAR is planning to develop a 1,000-acre organic market hub at Sohra (Cherrapunjee), which will function as a procurement, aggregation and marketing centre for organic produce from across Meghalaya.
Adding another major boost, NECTAR is planning to develop a 1,000-acre organic market hub at Sohra (Cherrapunjee), which will function as a procurement, aggregation and marketing centre for organic produce from across Meghalaya.
Dr Arun Kumar Sarma, Director General, NECTAR, told The Shillong Times: “Our objective is not only to promote organic farming but to build a complete ecosystem where technology, certification and assured market access work together to improve farmers’ incomes.”
“Through drone-based mapping, scientific farm management and third-party certification, we are helping farmers produce according to global standards. At the same time, we are creating market linkages so that they receive the value their produce deserves,” he added.
The initiative reflects NECTAR’s larger vision of using frontier technologies for livelihood generation and sustainable development in the Northeast.
If implemented successfully, it could transform Meghalaya’s organic farming landscape—from distress sales to premium markets, giving thousands of farmers a better future and a stronger position in India’s organic economy.
