Photo Courtesy: nenews
Shillong: A 21-member delegation from the International Fund for Agricultural Development toured Meghalaya from November 2 to 4. They examined how rural projects improve market access and sustain local farming. The group included eight members of the IFAD Executive Board plus representatives from Brazil, China, Eritrea, Finland, Indonesia, Nigeria, Norway, and the United Kingdom. They mean business.
The tour started at the 100-acre Experiential Farm of the Eastern Region Marketing Cooperative Society in Jirang. The team also visited a PRIME Hub and the Jirang Agro Farmer Producer Company Ltd. On day two, they checked on the Meghalaya Livelihoods and Access to Markets Project at Umwang IVCS Ltd. The project includes a Collective Marketing Centre, a Custom Hiring Centre, a community fish pond, and a storage facility.
The delegation held discussions with community members. Later, they stopped by the ERIFA PRIME Hub and an Organic Spice Processing Plant in the Ri Bhoi district. In Shillong, they met with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma. The trip ended at the PRIME Startup Hub, where they studied investments in agroecology value chains. Meghalaya secured 8.19 crore rupees in grant assistance, ranking third in India for this project.
The team included IFAD Secretary Claudia Ten Have, Associate Vice-President Donal Brown, and evaluation director Indran Naidoo. They finished the three-day trip with positive feedback. The delegation expressed satisfaction with the progress and interventions undertaken through MLAMP. The visit proved that Meghalaya is effectively building community institutions and connecting rural farmers to broader markets.
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