Shillong, Aug 21: Salmanpara MLA and advisor to the government of Meghalaya Ian Botham K. Sangma inaugurated the Cashew Processing Unit at Choto Bollongra village in Meghalaya’s South West Garo Hills district.
“This primary processing unit is the first of its kind in the South West Garo Hills and urged upon the people to leverage the opportunities through CM elevate and many other schemes of the Government of Meghalaya,” Ian Botham K. Sangma said.
He showered praises on the visionary leadership of the Chief Minister under whose government the MBMA has partly co-founded the project.
While delivering the key note address Fr. Dr. Sunny Joseph Marvelli said that Pangchakgrik is a registered Primary Cooperative of the all Garo Hills Multipurpose Co-operative Society and the project will be managed by Pangchakgrik MPCS.
He further mentioned that the primary processing unit of cashew nut at Chotaboromgre was funded by IFAD-GAp Fund (Grant for Agro Ecology) and is built at a cost of nearly Rs. 25 lakhs and will process over 20 metric tons of cashew available in the region and will give employment to nearly 20 school drop out youth from the area Further the unit will provide facility to process Arreccanut as well.
Local MDC Rakesh Sangma motivated the people to make use of the opportunities and set themselves the target of making Purakhasia a hub for cashew processing.
He also urged upon the farmers to help formalise the agri business activities so that Meghalaya government will generate revenue through taxation.
Kitmiller Sangma, District Development Manager NABARD informed the people about NABARD and it’s functioning.
The Head of Department of Horticulture, Tura NEHU Campus C. P. Suresh made people aware about the need for inter cropping of winter crops along with cashew plantation and distributed vegetable seeds sourced from Indian Institute of Horticulture Research, Bangalore.
Vallentina K Marak, Sub-Registrar of Cooperatives, West Garo Hills, said that Cooperatives can really empower women of the area and hoped that the members of Pangchakgrik to stringently the principles of cooperation and adopt the cooperative way both at work and in life.
The Secretary of the Pangchakgrik MPCS gave a brief outline about the history and progress of Pangchakgrik MPCS.
They started as a small Self Help Group and later formed FPO (Farmer Producer Organisation ) and seeing that there’s no progress through these community based organisations and facilitated by all Garo Hills Multipurpose Co-operative Society they formed Pangchakgrik MPCS and got it registered.
Today they have a membership of about 135 persons with nearly 180 shares being purchased .
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