SHILLONG, Aug 5: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said his government will spend Rs 240 crore over the next three years to transform Meghalaya into a floriculture hub.
Addressing a gathering during his visit to Mawkriah village in East Khasi Hills district, Sangma said the aim of the project is to make floriculture a high-value, climate-resilient and sustainable livelihood option for farmers in the state.
The ‘Floriculture Mission 1.0’ aims to benefit over 3,000 farmers, with each receiving Rs 7 lakh subsidy for inputs, infrastructure and training. Nearly 500 farmers have already availed benefits of the scheme.
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“This is the highest investment any government has made in floriculture in Meghalaya,” Sangma said, adding that the government expects direct profit generation of Rs 600 crore from the initiative in the coming years.
The scheme will focus on cultivating high-value flowers such as orchids, dendrobium, cymbidium, vanda and phalaenopsis and oriental lilium, which are in demand in domestic and international markets.
“Region-specific flower clusters are being developed using scientific cultivation techniques,” Sangma said.
“We are building on the state’s natural strengths and innovating with improved systems,” he added.
The state has engaged two service providers, Darjeeling Gardens and North Bengal Floritech, to provide technical expertise, quality planting materials, infrastructure support and assured market linkage under a three-year buyback arrangement, officials said.
Meghalaya’s unique agroclimatic conditions, with a blend of tropical and temperate elements, are ideally suited for growing exotic flowers, they said.
Sangma said the floriculture mission is part of a broader strategy by the state government.
He cited the success of the Lakadong Turmeric Mission, as a part of which production increased from 1,000 ton to over 20,000 ton through SHG-led processing units, market linkages and targeted investments.
“Meghalaya’s agriculture vision is rooted in identifying our core strengths and scaling them,” he said.
“We aim to double farmers’ incomes, diversify rural livelihoods and make agriculture a cornerstone of sustainable development,” he added. (PTI)
