In a development that could change the face of Meghalaya’s agricultural economy, the state on Wednesday launched its first aseptic pulp processing unit at Nonglum village in Ri-Bhoi district. The initiative, spearheaded by the Jirang Organic Agro Farmer’s Producer Company, marks a significant leap for farmers who have steadily transformed their small cooperative into a thriving agribusiness. The facility was inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh in the presence of local MLA Sosthenes Sohtun. Addressing a gathering of farmers and community members, Lyngdoh lauded the resilience of the state’s farming community. “Our farmers are essential to society. Without you all, we would not be able to complete our homes,” she remarked, underscoring the government’s commitment to ensuring farmers’ welfare and economic security.
What makes this project remarkable is the journey of the cooperative itself. Between 2017 and 2021, the group of farmers earned just about ₹1.5 lakh annually. Today, the same collective has scaled its operations to an annual business worth ₹1.17 crore. Deputy Secretary Saloni Verma highlighted this meteoric rise, noting how “what started as small shipments of local produce has now developed into sophisticated exports to cities like Delhi and Bangalore, and even to international markets such as Dubai.”
The new aseptic pulp processing unit, set up at a cost of ₹2.46 crore, has the capacity to handle 10 metric tons of produce per day, translating into an estimated 480–600 metric tons annually. Financial projections suggest an internal rate of return of 25 percent, with the facility expected to break even within four years. More than 433 farmers spread across 18 villages, covering nearly 500 hectares of farmland, are directly linked to this enterprise.