Shillong, Aug 2: In a move set to revolutionize agricultural marketing and supply chain management in the state as well as establishing ‘Meghalaya Brand’ at national and global stage, Meghalaya government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mother Dairy Fruits and Vegetables Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) on Friday.

This partnership seeks to address the major challenges faced by the state and its farming community by enhancing direct market connectivity and improving post-harvest care, with experts from Mother Dairy working closely with the state to upgrade current management practices.

The collaboration will also focus on crop research and development, including varietal improvements and productivity, optimizing logistics costs by procuring multiple types of produce, and marketing the ‘Meghalaya brand’ in Delhi. Additionally, the partnership aims to further strengthen the dairy sector, fruit and vegetable value chains, and the organic sector in the state.

Mother Dairy will also support varietal improvement and shelf-life extension to boost productivity along with value-added processing.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, who expressed his optimism about the potential long-term benefits of this collaboration. “We are delighted with this MoU,” said Sangma. “Its scope will enhance logistics, significantly reducing transit time for our produce to reach larger markets. With Mother Dairy’s extensive network, our farmers stand to gain immensely.”

The Chief Minister emphasized that the primary objective has always been to support farmers, enhance their livelihoods, and ensure better market pricing and value addition for their products. He expressed confidence that Meghalaya will emerge as a significant supplier of organic products, not only within India but globally.

Dr. Meenesh Shah, Chairman and Managing Director, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), remarked that the NDDB along with its subsidiary companies is committed to undertake farmer centric initiatives in Meghalaya under the guidance of Chief Minister of Meghalaya. “The MoU signed between the Meghalaya State Agricultural Marketing Board, Government of Meghalaya and Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Private Ltd towards a strategic partnership for growth and promotion of agricultural products from Meghalaya by fostering a long-term and sustainable engagement is truly a pathbreaking initiative in the interest of State’s farmers,” he added.

Dr. Shah also stated that NDDB will continue to support empowering farmers by providing them direct market access for their produce. The agricultural products from Meghalaya as well as North Eastern States, most suited to be organic, would definitely be brought into its ambit ensuring better and remunerative prices to farmers he said.

Meghalaya – Mother Dairy partnership to boost sale of local produces nationally 

Dr. Vijay Kumar D., Commissioner & Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, highlighted that many households in Meghalaya rely on both agriculture and dairy sectors. He stated that the signing of the MoU with Mother Dairy marks another step in their ongoing partnership.

Dr. Kumar also noted Meghalaya’s recent success in exporting fruits, especially pineapples and oranges, to both national and international markets, with this year’s partnership with Mother Dairy proving highly successful. To date, 12 MT of pineapples have been shipped from the state and sold through various Mother Dairy outlets.

“With their outlets across the country, we have seen the success of this partnership and foresee the potential to expand our collaboration in selling and processing our produce, as well as in value chain management for various crops, particularly fruits and vegetables,” he said.

Exporting fruits and spices

To achieve the short-term goals of exporting pineapples, ginger, and mandarins, Dr. Kumar said three project teams have been proposed to address key focus areas with joint committees from Mother Dairy and the Government of Meghalaya.

One team will focus on aligning taste with consumer preferences in the Delhi market by improving the supply chain to ensure the right stage of harvest and proper transportation methods to maintain the distinctive Meghalaya flavor.

Another team will work on building the ‘Meghalaya Brand Product’ range, emphasizing its unique selling points in the Delhi market, investing in point-of-sale and media, and planning awareness programs.

The third team will explore short-term and long-term business partnership opportunities, identify new products, and conduct R&D on existing products based on business insights.

Bridging farmers – consumers gap

Manish Bandlish, Managing Director, Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt. Ltd, highlighted the role NDDB plays in bridging the gap between farmers and consumers, uniting them on a common platform. “This collaboration showcases our efforts to connect India’s diverse agricultural heritage with urban consumers, offering a variety of premium produce from across states to discerning consumers nationwide and abroad,” he said.

Speaking on the overwhelming response the pineapples from Meghalaya at Safal outlets in Delhi received from consumers, Bandlish expressed that this initiative will expand and include more varieties from the state such as Ginger, Lakadong Turmeric and GI-tagged Khasi Mandarin.

Dignitaries also visited the East Khasi Hills Milk Union, highlighting the growth of the dairy sector in Meghalaya and the opportunities for further collaboration to support and develop local dairy initiatives.

A round table discussion was also held to explore the scope and prospects for future projects stemming from the partnership. During the discussion, potential initiatives including innovative agricultural practices, strategies for market access and expansion, were also discussed.

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