Williamnagar, Mar 14: Sparks Hills, the first-ever PRIME Hub set up by the Government of Meghalaya in rural areas of the State, has come about as a massive boon to the populace of Songsak as it not only provides them assistance in agriculture sector to improve their income generation but also provides with medical facilities and other trainings.Sparks Hills PRIME Hub Center at Samin Rongalgre under Songsak C&RD Block in East Garo Hills was set up in convergence with the Bakdil NGO. Songsak was chosen by the project for Prime Hub for its ideal location, enabling easy connection between farmers from East Garo Hills and North Garo Hills districts.

Sister Stella Michel, Centre Manager of FOCUS program Songsak Block, said, “There are 25 Producer Groups consisting of nearly 300 members in total have been formed in Songsak C&RD Block. These are groups that comprise of farmers and producers engaged in similar income generating livelihoods.”

The program mobilizes these individual farmers to form producer groups so that as a collective, incomes are enhanced and opportunities to take up higher level activities are formed.

PRIME Hub is an incubation center that provides several assistances such as handholding for farmers, producer groups, and agriculture entrepreneurs. Also this Hub provide assistance in realizing improved incomes through the provision of market and credit linkages, technical know-how, access to better quality seeds, support funding, and others through MBDA’s FOCUS (Farmers’ Collectivization for Upscaling of Production and Marketing Systems) Programmes. PRIME Hubs are also involved in the production and processing of products. Farmers are assisted in the cultivation of crops like ginger, spices, chilies, black pepper, paddy, livestock, book keeping, and spices production and its management.

Besides, other services are also provided at this Hub, such as, medical aid facility unit that caters to medical assistance for the local populace. The Hub has also set up integrated farms that include poultry farm, dairy farm, and piggery farm. Some of the produce from these farms are sold locally such as cow’s milk. Training programmes on how to generate higher incomes from different sources are conducted regularly in collaboration with departments. Among its many other activities, the Songsak PRIME Hub with funding from MBMA (Meghalaya Basin Management Agency) initiated the first ever Masonry training to 100 boys in the first batch. The programme includes one month provincial training and two months practical.