Northeast Desk, 25th September: Meghalaya has made a major stride in its organic farming journey by signing a crucial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Meghalaya Natural and Organic Society for Livelihood and Innovation in Agriculture (MEGNOLIA) and the National Cooperatives of Organic Limited (NCOL) at the World Food India 2024 event.
This strategic partnership aims to revolutionize the procurement, marketing, and sale of organic products from the state. Under the agreement, MEGNOLIA will facilitate the connection between certified organic farmers and NCOL, ensuring procurement approvals and covering the costs of organic certification.
NCOL has committed to purchasing organic products directly from farmers and will manage the logistics, guaranteeing direct compensation to both farmers and service providers. This streamlined approach is expected to increase profitability for organic farmers by providing direct market access.
The MOU addresses a key challenge faced by organic farmers—market access—by linking Meghalaya’s organic produce to a national cooperative, opening wider consumer markets.
This partnership is a continuation of the state’s efforts to promote organic farming. The state has already approved the Meghalaya State Organic and Natural Farming Policy in January 2023, and MEGNOLIA, established in June 2023, plays a vital role in implementing this policy.
Meghalaya currently boasts 24,000 hectares of certified organic land, with another 8,000 hectares in transition. The state aims to convert 100,000 hectares of land into certified organic holdings, and this partnership is expected to accelerate that goal.
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