Shillong, Sept 26: Meghalaya showcased its transformation from farm-to-market at World Food India (WFI) 2025, positioning itself as a rising organic food hub built on community-driven models and export-ready supply chains.

As a focused state at India’s premier food processing event held from September 25–28 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, Meghalaya unveiled its flagship brand “Meghalaya Collectives Organic,” signed four major MoUs, and presented an investment-ready food ecosystem that drew attention from global investors, retailers, and agri-tech innovators.

Praising the state’s progress, Chirag Paswan, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, said he felt blessed and proud to witness Meghalaya’s growth journey, adding that the leadership of Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has brought remarkable progress, particularly in promoting sustainability and organic products. He noted that Lakadong turmeric has now gained global recognition and that other states can learn from Meghalaya’s model. Paswan assured that the Government of India will continue to extend full support through dedicated schemes to accelerate Meghalaya’s progress and empower farmers.

Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma urged self-help groups and societies to take advantage of such opportunities, stressing that while programmes can be facilitated by the government, the real potential lies in the commitment and hard work of individuals to take their businesses forward.

The Meghalaya Pavilion, inaugurated by the Union Minister in the presence of the Chief Minister, highlighted the state’s organic heritage, innovative agri-value chains, and its unique positioning as a naturally organic region with world-class produce. Under the Organic Mission 2024–28, the state is targeting certification of 1,00,000 hectares under organic farming by 2028 with a government commitment of ₹250 crore. Current progress includes more than 24,000 hectares already certified organic, over 40,400 farmers integrated into organic value chains, and 240 Farmer Producer Organisations created and converted to organic practices.

A central driver of this transformation is the Community Public Private Partnership (CPPP) model, where community ownership, government capital, and private sector expertise converge to build scalable food processing infrastructure. Through this framework, Meghalaya has operationalised eight PRIME Hubs in 2024–25 with an investment of over ₹220 crore, processing 6,000 kg, impacting 15,000 farmers, and generating 1,540 jobs. By 2027–28, the state plans to expand to 40 hubs and to 55 hubs by 2031–32, with investments exceeding ₹550 crore, capable of processing 3,00,000 kg, impacting 3.4 lakh farmers, and creating over 11,200 jobs. Complementing these hubs are 40 large processing units and over 540 micro-units, along with the integration of more than 700 cooperatives and 2,000 producer groups covering 2 lakh farming households. Together, these initiatives are reducing post-harvest losses, standardising quality, and ensuring farmers are connected to national and international markets.

At the event, Meghalaya officially launched its flagship initiative, “Meghalaya Collectives Organic,” which brings together high-value crops such as Lakadong turmeric, Sohiong, Khasi mandarin, and Kew pineapple under a unified, traceable identity. This brand will enable farmers to access premium markets, both domestic and international, by focusing on certified production, provenance storytelling, and consistent quality. Building on its earlier success of Arabic-labelled products for Middle Eastern consumers, Meghalaya also signed four key MoUs with Lulu Group Retail, The Staple Kaka, Plantrich Agri Tech Pvt. Ltd., and Treta Agro Pvt. Ltd. (Just Organic). These agreements will provide direct access to Gulf markets, expand reach in South and North India, and strengthen brand positioning in the organic product space.

The state’s efforts are already yielding results in exports, with premium consignments of organic pineapples, mandarin, and ginger shipped to the Middle East since 2022, product placements at Lulu Hypermarket in Dubai, exports of over 20 MT of GI-tagged Khasi mandarin to the GCC, and a pioneering 15 MT organic ginger sea shipment in March 2025.

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