Shillong: Meghalaya is moving to overhaul its farm sector. The Draft Meghalaya State Agriculture Policy 2026 focuses on raising farmer incomes rather than just increasing output. It addresses persistent hurdles like weak infrastructure, reliance on middlemen, and fragmented landholdings.
Officials want to replace informal farm-gate deals with a formal network. The plan calls for three to five regulated market yards across Ri Bhoi, East Khasi Hills, Garo Hills, and Jaintia Hills. These sites will provide weighing, auctioning, and electronic trading to stabilize prices. Current practices often leave farmers without proper bargaining power. The draft states, "While such transactions provide immediate cash, the draft says they weaken price discovery and bargaining power and allow a significant portion of the value of Meghalaya’s produce to be captured outside the state."
A major priority is fixing the state's post-harvest system. The existing 8,200 metric tonnes of cold storage capacity falls short because produce spoils during transport. The policy suggests a hub-and-spoke model using the PRIME Hub network. Only eight of the 55 hubs are running now. Future hubs require a business plan and a named operator to be deemed functional.
Crop planning will now prioritize market demand. The state will support existing arecanut and broom grass growers but will stop expanding those crops. Instead, officials want to boost indigenous sticky, red, and brown rice. Farmers will also get help turning traditional low-input methods into certified organic goods to reach the target of one lakh hectares by 2028. Other mandates include a State Seed Cooperative and strict oversight of chemical pesticides.
Social support is also central. The policy proposes life and group insurance for households registered on the Meghalaya One portal. This includes disability coverage for work-related accidents. Women will receive specific protections, allowing them to register as farmers to access credit and governance roles directly. The government will also track climate risks through district-level profiles and early warning systems.
The Agriculture department is taking comments until September 30. Officials hope to redefine success by tracking profit and climate resilience instead of just raw production numbers.
Comments