Shillong, Feb 3: Marking a significant development in the growth of agro-based economy of Meghalaya, a consignment of 20 metric tonnes (MT) of ginger and turmeric has been dispatched under a direct farmer-to-business (B2B) procurement model to Jodhpur in Rajasthan.
This brings the total cumulative procurement to 80 MT till the last assessment under the B2B) procurement model of Dijako Agro Farmer Producer Organization (FPO), Kharkutta in North Garo Hills.
The B2B procurement model has so far benefited more than 500 farmers from North Garo Hills district, particularly small and marginal producers cultivating ginger and turmeric.
Farmers participating in the initiative shared that the model has helped them avoid distress selling, ensured assured pricing, and strengthened their confidence in organized markets.
During an interaction was held with the beneficiary farmers, Dr Joram Beda, Director of Meghalaya New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (MNREDA) mentioned that the B2B procurement model is a pilot intervention under the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-supported program on “Enhancing the Livelihood of Rural Communities through the Use of Renewable Energy Systems”.
“We are working on a model that can be replicated across districts and commodities. By bringing in multiple buyers, we aim to enable competitive price discovery, while MNREDA will act as a facilitator to strengthen aggregation, logistics, and trust between farmers and markets,” he said.
In his address, Rupert Momin emphasized that such interventions help farmers overcome distress selling and local market price manipulation.
“This model has already resulted in improved prices for ginger and turmeric in local markets. Farmers are benefiting both directly through assured procurement and indirectly through improved market rates,” he added.
From the buyer side, representatives of the Cultivator Natural Product Production and Procurement Team shared that while demand for Meghalaya’s ginger and turmeric remains strong, availability of large and consistent volumes remains a key challenge due to aggregation constraints.
“We need bigger and consistent volumes to ensure long-term procurement. Aggregation at the farmer level is the primary challenge. With the support of MNREDA and the EY LLP PIC team, we are confident that this issue can be addressed. We look forward to working closely with the Government of Meghalaya and farmers across the Northeast,” the buyer representatives stated.
