DEPARTMENT of AGRICULTURE
MEGHALAYA
WORKSHOP on AGRICULTURE
STRATEGIES, POLICIES and PRACTICES
GUWAHATI
30th September – 1st October 2010
The State Agriculture Department
DEPARTMENT
OF
AGRICULTURE
Directorate of
Agriculture
Directorate of
Horticulture
Directorate of
Irrigation
Directorate of Horticulture created in 1995
Directorate of Irrigation created in 2001 bifurcated
into Water Resources Department in 2009
Progress of Agriculture Sector
• Ratio of cultivated area to geographical area of the State is
about 15% during 2008-09
• Gross Cropped area of 3.37 lakh hectares with net
cropped area of 2.84 lakh hectares and area sown more
than once is 0.53 lakh hectares during 2008-09
• Cropping Intensity stagnating at 125%, still below all
India Average of 130.5%
Source: Statistical Abstract 2009, Directorate
of Economics & Statistics
Policy Objectives (Agriculture sub-sector)
• Shift to “Cluster Approach” – actual needs of farmers,
concentration of resources, perceptible impact
• Bridging (narrowing) gap between demand (4,20,000 MT)
and supply (2,00,077 MT) of Rice
• Water Management
• Watershed-based development
• Agri-Entrepreneurship - capacity building
Reasons for low yield in Rice production
• Popularity of local traditional
varieties – preferred taste but low
yield
• Slow adoption of scientific
farming practices - broadcasting
method still in vogue
• Farmers not applying complete
package of practices
• Land tenure system – sharecropping, ownership patterns
• Inadequate credit support- low
CD ratio (69%)
• Labour issues – availability, cost,
winter planting
Strategy to increase Rice production
(Increase Productivity)
• Increase SRR (HYV, Hybrids)
• Breeding varieties with acceptable
taste, aroma and with higher yields –
IRRI assistance
• Improved cultivation practices –
transplanting, SRI demonstration,
prescribed package of practices
• Tackling iron toxicity, acidity STRASA
Strategy to increase Rice production
(Increase Area)
• Increase area under cultivation –
topography constraints; MCS, spring
paddy (‘Boro’, ‘Ahu’)
• Increase irrigation facilities for
multiple cropping – mini check dams,
STW, SWP
• Mechanisation – power tillers,
reapers, threshers (offset labour
problems)
Irrigation/Water Management Strategy
High rainfall, high run-off
•Water-harvesting structures
• Mini Irrigation Check dams
• Shallow Tube Wells
• Surface water pumping
• Dugouts
• Hydrams
• Participatory water
management (WUAs)
Maize
• Annual Production = 25,138 MT
• Advantages – pre-kharif, kharif, prerabi, rabi - encourage year-round
cultivation
STRATEGY
• Increase cultivation of Maize & Pulses
(Maize+Soyabean)
• Cultivation in clusters
• Varieties needed by Feed Mills
Micro Watersheds under NWDPRA
• 32 Watersheds during 9th Plan; 78 Watersheds during 10th Plan; 78
Watersheds during 11th Plan
• Ideal focal points for convergence – BRGF, NREGA, Development
Departments
• Need-based micro-plans – unique to each watershed
• Watershed committees are registered societies – easier access to funds (FI,
MPLADS, SRWP, RKVY, MMA)
• Base for integrated farming system – livestock, fodder, crops,
aquaculture
• Water-traps along water courses – irrigation
• 1st tier agricultural development - subsequent tiers can be dovetailed
Mechanisation
• Power Tillers - increased
popularity and acceptance
• Low level of Subsidy Rs.45,000/• Farmers difficulty in mobilising
remaining amount
• Need to fix a floating % as
subsidy
• Need to raise subsidy level –
special consideration for NER
(75%)
TREYSEFA
Training of Rural Educated Youth for Self Employment in Farm-based Activities
• Foster agricultural entrepreneurship
• Selection Criteria – Matriculate, possession of own or family land
• Subjects taught – agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry,
fisheries, accounting, civil engineering, group formation,
mechanisation, soil/water conservation
• Duration - 5 Months; Stipend - Rs.500 per month; Seed Money Rs.10,000/• Year of inception - 2003-04 ; Youth trained – 400
• Success stories – formation of crop-growers association; rentals of
machineries; integrated activity
Horticulture sub-sector
……onward towards being a Fruit ‘n’ Flower State……
Policy Objectives
 Consolidating
traditional strengths
 Capitalising on emerging
opportunities
Present Position
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2nd – ginger production
3rd – strawberries
Off-season vegetables
Leading producer of anthurium
Emerging producer of coloured capsicum
High quality ‘Lakadong’ turmeric (high %
of curcumin)
Tasty and juicy oranges (‘Khasi Mandarin’)
Good quality cashew
Orthodox, CTC, Green Tea
Inherently organic by tradition
Traditional Strengths (data for 2008-09)
Crop Name
Potato
Pineapple
Ginger
Citrus
Cashew nut
Turmeric
Area
Production
Yield
(Hectares)
(MT)
(MT/Ha)
17,690
1,61,138
9.10
10,523
1,02,506
9.74
9,283
50,286
5.42
9,368
37,702
4.03
7,599
13,027
1.71
1,959
10,046
5.13
Bottlenecks and Drawbacks
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Planting material – poor quality, high cost of imports
Post harvest losses
Handling losses – rail, air
Un-organised marketing – fluctuating price, multi-tiered
middle-men
• High transport costs
• High cost of packaging material
• Processing facilities – rudimentary, low volumes
Thrust Areas
• Upgrading Departmental Farms - quality planting material
(QPM), private nurseries
• Tissue Culture Laboratory – large scale QPM production
• Post Harvest Management - Cold Chains (pre-coolers,
cold rooms, reefers)
• Marketing – regulated markets, farmers markets, Border
Haats, Look-East, Look-South, Israeli colloboration
• Agro-Processing and Value Addition
• Low volume high value crops
Promising Prospects
• Improved Technology - protected
cultivation, plasticulture, green house,
polyhouse, shade house, microirrigation
• Floriculture – roses, anthuriums, liliums,
carnations, gerberas, orchids, BOP,
heliconia
• Exotic vegetables – bell-peppers,
broccoli, cherry tomatoes
• Exotic fruits – strawberries, kiwis,
raspberries, blue berries
• Organic produce - certification
Horti Hubs
• Hub-and-spoke model; C2C
(Concept to Completion); Buyback - PPP
• Centres of excellence –
prescribed package of practices
• Experiments
• Training – PTC+
• Development of Spokes
• Aggregation
• Storage
• Dispatch
Hub-specialities
Thadlaskein (JH) – Gerberas,
Leather leaf fern, Cattleya
Upper Shillong (EKH) –
Gerberas, Orchids (cymbidiums)
Nongstoin (WKH) – Carnations
Dewlieh (RB) – Roses, Strawberries
Samgong (EGH) – Anthuriums,
Bell-peppers
Rongram (WGH) – Anthuriums,
Bell-peppers, Cherry-tomatoes
Minneng (SGH) – Dendrobiums,
Liliums
GOI issues
Technology Mission on Horticulture
• Cost norms for protected cultivation – unrealistic, low
• Need for projectised proposals
• Proposal passed by SLSC modified at the Ministry level
• RKVY pattern of sanction
Subsidies
• Transport
• Packaging Material
Due Diligence
• Approved rates
• Approved Firms/Suppliers
THANK YOU