From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, June 7: Meghalaya ranks among the country’s top-10 cashew-producing states, but at the heart of this success story is a local priest who, through his unwavering efforts, revived this once “dying” crop in the Garo Hills and brought it to national stage.
Tribal farmers in the Garo Hills region cultivated one of the best cashew nuts in the country before gradually abandoning this lucrative crop in the face of exploitation by unscrupulous traders.
These traders from outside offered them Rs 35 per kg for raw cashews – barely one/fourth of the market price. Once processed, cashews fetched from Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 per kg.
Frustrated by poor returns, some farmers abandoned their orchards, while others cut down their cashew trees to cultivate cheaper crops. However, many others remained undecided.
It was around this time that Fr. Benoy Joseph came to their rescue. He mobilised them and launched a cooperative movement to revive cashew cultivation, establishing a cooperative in 2015 at Tikrikilla.
He spearheaded the formation of local self-help groups, helping rural women gain financial stability and strengthen community bonds through this cash crop.
Today, Meghalaya ranks ninth in cashew production in the country, with its produce widely known for its superior quality. The state government supported the establishment of cashew processing units in the Garo Hills, thus minimising the role of traders and middlemen who had long profited at the expense of the poor farmers.
Cashew nut cultivation in Meghalaya is concentrated almost entirely in the tropical, hilly tracts of the Garo Hills region. It has transitioned from a basic soil-binding crop into a highly lucrative commercial cash crop in the last few years. With a favourable tropical climate, red sandy and slightly acidic lateritic soils, the region yields premium-quality, naturally grown organic cashews.
According to recent data from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, cashew cultivation in Meghalaya spans an area of 10,616 hectares, yielding an annual production of 18,363 metric tonnes.
Studies from local institutions, such as the College of Community Science in Tura, showed that dehydrated cashew apple powder can be used to make baked products such as cakes and cookies. Processing surplus fruit flesh into juices, squashes, or syrups can help local cooperatives combat seasonal wastage.
With such potential, government frameworks are building infrastructure to transition Meghalaya from a raw-material exporter into an agri-processing centre. The Directorate of Food Processing, Meghalaya and state agencies have introduced dedicated infrastructure, like the 2-tonne daily capacity unit at Babadam, West Garo Hills, owned by the All-Garo Hills Multipurpose Cooperative Society.
Under initiatives like the Megha-LAMP project, farmers receive financial aid and market linkages to package their goods under state-backed organic brand umbrellas. Schemes like the PMFME offer micro-processing units a 35% credit-linked subsidy to help local entrepreneurs to upgrade their technology and purchase advanced machinery.
Not forgetting the dedication to grassroots community development, sustainable livelihoods, and the economic empowerment of tribal communities in the remote areas of the Garo Hills, the state government honoured Fr. Joseph with the Pa Togan Nengminza Award 2026. He also received the North East Regional Cooperative Excellence & Merit Award in 2022.
