Shillong, Apr 26 (PTI) Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday launched a programme to make Meghalaya one of the largest producers of ginger in the country.
The state government will be spending Rs 121 crore for the initiative over the next three years, he said.
‘Ginger Mission’ aims to increase ginger production in the state to 1.5 lakh mt per annum in the next three years from about 60,000 mt per annum at present, he said.
“Rs 121 crore has been earmarked for the mission for a period of three years. By the end of the mission, the government is confident that Meghalaya would become the third-largest producer of ginger in the country,” the chief minister said, launching the initiative at a function here.
The government would spend Rs 18 crore in the first year to procure 2,200 mt of quality plants, which will be distributed for free to around 9,000 farmers in 400 villages, he said.
The Department of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare will gradually introduce improved and high-yielding varieties of ginger, he said.
Around 50,000 farmers will be benefited and the area of production will be increased from 10,000 ha to 12,500 ha, he added.
Training will be given to farmers on the latest production technologies, collectivisation and aggregation, processing of ginger and market linkage, Sangma said.
In the past, several programmes for the welfare of farmers were taken up but the objective to enhance their earnings was not achieved, he said.
“Through ‘Ginger Mission’ and other flagship farmers programmes, the government has designed a dedicated roadmap to ensure that farmers’ incomes are doubled,” he said.
The government will create logistics hubs and storage facilities, besides connecting the farmers to bigger markets and buyers, Sangma said.
The local ginger variety ‘Sying Makhir’, which has high medicinal values, will also be promoted through this programme, he said.
Thirty new ginger processing units will be set up across the state at an estimated cost of Rs 7.5 crore as a part of the programme, the chief minister said.
At the function, he handed over the improved varieties of ginger samples to farmers. PTI JOP SOM SOM
