By Bhogtoram Mawroh
During the recently concluded 4th Organic Youth Summit at Courtyard Marriott, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma called for coordinated and sustained efforts from all stakeholders to advance Meghalaya’s organic farming mission. The drive to make the state organic, in fact, began during the tenure of former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who launched Mission Organic in 2015. It was a good initiative that got disrupted in 2022 when the ban on chemical fertilizers was lifted ahead of the Meghalaya Assembly elections. The then Agriculture Minister, Banteidor Lyngdoh, pointed out that a section of farmers in the state—especially in East Khasi Hills—had been severely affected by the ban on the use of fertilizers. Therefore, in order to help the farmers, the Department of Agriculture decided to renew the use of fertilizers for certain crops like potato, tomato, and cabbage. Ever since the announcement lifting the ban on chemical fertilizers, there has been no news of the restrictions being reinstated. As a result, the situation right now is a little confusing. On the one hand, the Chief Minister talks about promoting organic farming in the state, but on the other hand, the decision to support inorganic farming—which was made for political exigencies—has still not been withdrawn.
Recently, Timothy D. Shira, the new Agriculture Minister, urged farmers and young entrepreneurs to embrace modern technology and value addition in agriculture to transform Meghalaya’s rural economy under the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative. According to him, each district should grow crops best suited to its soil and climate, which is the concept of “one district, one crop.” In fact, there is already a list of notified ODOP crops for every district in the state. For example, the crop identified for East Khasi Hills is Khasi Mandarin, while for West Garo Hills it is cashew—both important cash crops. However, what is worrying is that these are plantation crops grown as part of a monoculture system. Such systems are highly susceptible to pest attacks, thereby necessitating the use of chemical pesticides. Monoculture also leads to a decline in soil fertility, compelling farmers to depend on chemical fertilizers. For these reasons, organic farming places great emphasis on crop diversity as a key soil and pest management strategy. Unless the implementation of the ODOP scheme avoids the expansion of monoculture practices at the expense of already existing multi-cropping systems (e.g., jhum, bun and homegardens), there is disconnect between the declaration to promote organic farming and the actual initiatives on the ground.
To be fair, the MDA government under Conrad Sangma did introduce the 2023 Meghalaya State Organic and Natural Farming Policy. Except for the lack of measures on income support for farmers who will face financial losses during the transition to organic farming, and problems related to certification (which, by design, excludes farming practices like jhum and bun), the policy is generally quite progressive—especially with its emphasis on linking food production with health and nutrition. Malnutrition is a major problem in the state and the latest NFHS-5 (2019–2020) survey revealed that around half or more of children and women are stunted and anaemic. From anecdotal evidence, I have been informed that the most malnourished blocks in the state coincide with those that are heavily invested in chemical-intensive farming and have received exemptions to purchase chemical fertilizers. Of course, this is only anecdotal, and it would be useful for someone to confirm this with a rigorous scientific study. The success of the policy will therefore have tremendous implications not just for farmers but for the entire population of the state.
The news report on the 4th Organic Youth Summit carried several quotes not only from the Chief Minister but also from important stakeholders, including representatives from APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) and IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements). The support of these bodies will be crucial for promoting organic farming in the state, since these agencies develop guidelines for the certification and export of agricultural products, which are key to improving farmers’ incomes. The ultimate goal must be to improve farmers’ incomes, especially in light of inflation and the rising cost of living. In 2016, the Union Government announced that it intended to double farmers’ income by 2022. It has been three years since the deadline, and based on the math, farmers should now be enjoying three times the income they had in 2016. Only the farmers themselves can tell whether the promise has been fulfilled or if it was just another jhumla.
While everyone spoke the right things, there was a conspicuous absence of any mention of climate change in the context of supporting organic farming in the state. Meghalaya is already reeling under the effects of climate change, especially with increasingly erratic rainfall patterns. This year, alarmingly, the state experienced a rainfall deficit of approximately 50% below normal during the monsoon period. But the decline in rainfall during the pre-monsoon period is equally troubling. Even this year, delays in pre-monsoon showers have had a severe impact on crops such as beans in Ri Bhoi. What makes farming systems in the state particularly susceptible to climate change is the lack of irrigation facilities.
Agriculture in Meghalaya has always been rain-fed—largely because its hilly topography makes irrigation projects, like those seen in other parts of the country, less viable. As long as rainfall is predictable and adequate, this strategy works. However, with rainfall becoming highly erratic and failing during critical periods, there is an urgent need to develop irrigation facilities, both surface and groundwater. In this regard, the state is severely lagging behind. A recent report by the Jal Shakti Ministry, cited in newspapers in February of this year, highlighted that despite a low extraction rate—only 3.55% of the potential—water sources are depleting, which could pose long-term risks to the state’s water security. To tackle this crisis, the Meghalaya government launched the Rs 353-crore MegARISE project in 2024, and irrigation has been identified as the third most important priority under the 2019 Meghalaya State Water Policy. As a matter of fact, in 2015, when Mukul Sangma announced Mission Organic during a meeting in Ampati, he informed the audience that a project worth Rs 4,500 crore had been sanctioned to address the state’s water woes, noting that the original idea of the IBDLP (Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Promotion) was to create water bodies in the state. Thus, the announcement of substantial funds for augmenting the state’s water resources is not new.
At the same time, irrigation is not solely the responsibility of the state government. Under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, the Autonomous District Councils in the state have been empowered to legislate on issues related to the use of canals or watercourses for agriculture. However, none of the three Autonomous District Councils—the Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills, or Garo Hills—has enacted any legislation on this issue. Considering that climate change entered mainstream policy discussions only in the last few decades, the absence of past legislation on the issue is understandable. However, the effects of climate change have intensified in recent years, and every indication suggests that the situation will only worsen. To ensure that agriculture—which remains the main occupation for the majority of the population—does not suffer, it is high time that irrigation becomes a central component of any intervention aimed at supporting agriculture, especially organic farming. The ADCs will have to do their part and cannot depend solely on the state government. The increased discussions on organic farming in Meghalaya are a good sign, indicating an attempt to create a more sustainable and resilient food system to cope with climate change while ensuring food and nutritional security for the population. Apart from the state’s own programs and policies, there are several central schemes that Meghalaya can take advantage of, including the recently launched Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY), which aims to increase agricultural productivity, promote sustainable agricultural practices (e.g., organic farming), reduce dependence on the monsoon rains, and improve farmers’ livelihoods. However, despite numerous announcements of various programmes and policies, much remains to be done on the ground. We will only know if any of these initiatives are successful when farmers in the state are able to earn a good income while also ensuring environmental sustainability. Until then, much work remains to be done.
(The views expressed in the article are those of the author and do not reflect in any way his affiliation to any organisation or institution)
