Shillong, May 11: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday inaugurated the Meghalaya Community Biochar Plant at Umsli in Ri Bhoi district under the Meghalaya Community Biochar Initiative aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and climate-resilient livelihoods.
The biochar facility has been established at the Eastern Ri-Bhoi Organic Farmer Producer Company (FPC) Processing Plant and is supported by the Centre of Excellence for Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Livelihoods under the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA).
The initiative seeks to improve soil fertility, increase crop productivity and contribute towards climate change mitigation through the use of biochar in sustainable farming practices.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said the government’s primary focus is to uplift farmers and improve their incomes, noting that more than 70 percent of Meghalaya’s population depends on agriculture and allied sectors for livelihood.
“One of the most important agendas for our government is to see how we can benefit, how we can uplift, and how we can improve the income of our farmers,” Sangma said.
He stated that the government is focusing on improving soil health, ensuring quality seeds, timely support and access to working capital for farmers, while also prioritising value addition in agricultural products.
The Chief Minister also informed that a new spice processing unit is expected to be inaugurated within the next few months to serve farmers across Ri Bhoi and other parts of the state.
During the programme, Sangma also released two reports — the Bamboo Resource Inventory of Meghalaya and the State-Wide Inventory of Arecanut and Other Horticulture Tree Plantations.
MLA of Umroi constituency Damanbait Lamare said the new biochar plant would benefit bamboo growers and promote organic farming in the region. He also highlighted the potential of the upcoming spice factory to improve local livelihoods.
Chief Executive Officer of Eastern Ri-Bhoi Organic FPC Revistar Kharumnuid said the Chief Minister had earlier laid the foundation stone for the Spice PRIME Hub, which is expected to become the largest organic spice industrial unit in the Northeast upon completion.
He informed that the initiative currently involves 10 organic Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) benefiting around 4,500 farmers. The biochar project itself has enrolled 150 bamboo growers and 500 ginger farmers.
Delivering the welcome address, Dr. S. Ashutosh, Co-chairman and Director of the Centre of Excellence under the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA), said the Meghalaya Community Biochar Initiative would help the state move towards a climate-resilient green economy and support the target of bringing 100,000 hectares under organic cultivation by 2028.
According to officials, the pilot biochar project has been launched in two clusters covering Khasi-Jaintia and Garo regions. Two mid-sized pyrolysis reactors have already been installed at Umsli, while two additional reactors are being set up at Chenggalgre IVCS in Dadenggre.
