Rongram, Nov 15: In a significant push to strengthen the coffee value chain in Meghalaya, the All Garo Hills Multipurpose Cooperative Society (AGHMPCS), in collaboration with the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) and the Coffee Board of India, organised a major profit-sharing and farmer mobilisation programme at Aguragre village under Rongram Block, West Garo Hills.

The initiative marks an important step in ensuring that the economic benefits of coffee production reach farmers at the grassroots level.

With the coffee sector steadily growing in the Garo Hills, cooperatives and supporting agencies have intensified efforts to build fair, transparent, and farmer-led market systems. The AGHMPCS profit-sharing initiative—first introduced last year—has become an important model for empowering farming households by ensuring that profits generated through collective marketing are shared back with producers.

Speaking at the event, Chief Guest Yapi Haji, Senior Liaison Officer of the Coffee Board in Tura, lauded the cooperative for setting a new standard in farmer engagement and transparency. Fr. Sunny Joseph Mavelil, Secretary of AGHMPCS, emphasised the society’s long-term vision of building a sustainable and profitable coffee ecosystem, grounded in the principle that “whatever we produce, whatever profit we make, we share with the community.”

A key highlight of the programme was the distribution of more than ₹1,50,000 to 11 progressive coffee farmers, recognising their contributions to strengthening cultivation and encouraging them to adopt improved practices. Farmers noted that receiving direct profit shares from the cooperative motivates them to increase productivity, improve quality, and take greater ownership of their plantations.

The event also included a Producer Group (PG) mobilisation session, where coffee seeds were distributed through active PGs to expand plantation areas. Officials briefed farmers on upcoming schemes, support programmes, and market opportunities offered by the Coffee Board, MBMA, and AGHMPCS. The session aimed to deepen community participation in organised coffee production and strengthen collective systems that enhance bargaining power, quality control, and market access.

This year’s programme builds on the success of the 2024 event held at Oragitok, where AGHMPCS distributed Rs 1 lakh to 16 farmers—the first known instance of a cooperative society in Garo Hills sharing profits directly with its members. That initiative generated strong appreciation across the farming community and set the tone for a more transparent, farmer-driven model of agricultural development.

Farmers participating in the Aguragre programme reiterated the positive impact such initiatives have on boosting morale and creating trust within the cooperative system. Many expressed confidence that with continuous support from AGHMPCS, MBMA, and the Coffee Board, coffee cultivation will become a major livelihood avenue in the region.

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