Williamnagar, July 28 – Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma today inaugurated the state’s first Centrifuged Latex Manufacturing Unit at Koksi Nengsat under Songsak C&RD block in East Garo Hills. This pioneering project, only the second of its kind in the Northeast, marks a significant stride in the state’s commitment to supporting farmers and fostering entrepreneurship.
Managed and implemented by Sr. Rose, founder of Mendipathar Multipurpose Cooperative Society (MMCS), the unit is funded by the State Government through the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency with an investment of ₹18.8 crore. It is poised to directly benefit nearly 3,000 farmers engaged in rubber cultivation across Garo Hills.
“This unit is a boon for Garo Hills and the state as a whole, as it will benefit a large number of farmers involved in rubber plantation,” Chief Minister Sangma stated. He reiterated his government’s priority since 2018 to understand farmers’ concerns and implement supportive interventions, citing existing programs like Focus, Focus+, and CM Farm+.
Highlighting the Prime Minister’s goal to double farmers’ income, Sangma stressed, “In Meghalaya, we need to increase it more than double, given the significant dependence on farming. To achieve our target of a $10 billion economy, we need to improve livelihoods and opportunities for our farmers.” He pointed to successful initiatives like Nokma ice cream, Awang chips processing unit, and mushroom farming in Mendipathar as models, informing that 40 similar manufacturing and processing units are being established statewide to benefit farming communities.
Addressing challenges faced by the rubber sheet industry due to external middlemen, the Chief Minister emphasized, “This processing unit will reverse the trend and benefit farmers involved in rubber plantation. We urge all rubber plantation farmers to sell their raw rubber to this unit, which will provide the best competitive price and save them time.”
Acknowledging the saturation of government jobs, Sangma spoke on efforts to cultivate an ecosystem that promotes entrepreneurship, mentioning the CM Elevate program as a key initiative supporting business ventures.
During the event, Chief Minister Sangma also laid the foundation for Meghalaya’s first fruit dehydration unit. This ambitious project, costing ₹23 crore, is slated for completion by November next year and will boast an annual processing capacity of 7,400 metric tons of fruits. It is expected to benefit over 5,000 farmers through assured procurement and improved price realization, significantly reducing post-harvest losses and generating new employment opportunities.
The inauguration was attended by PHE Minister Marcuise Marak, MLA Marthone Sangma, and Sister Rose, Secretary, MMCS, underscoring the collaborative effort behind these transformative rural development initiatives.
