Meghalaya launches community biochar plant to boost organic farming incomes

A community biochar plant aimed at strengthening organic farming and improving farmer incomes was inaugurated at Umsli in Ri-Bhoi district on May 11, with the Meghalaya government positioning the project as part of its wider push towards climate-resilient agriculture.

The facility, set up under the Meghalaya Community Biochar Initiative at the Eastern Ri-Bhoi Organic Farmer Producer Company processing plant, was inaugurated by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.

The project, supported by the Centre of Excellence for Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Livelihoods under the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency, focuses on using biochar to improve soil fertility, increase crop productivity and support climate mitigation efforts.

Addressing the gathering, Sangma said improving the income of farmers remained one of the government’s central priorities, noting that over 70 per cent of Meghalaya’s workforce depends on agriculture and allied sectors. He said the government was concentrating on improving soil health, ensuring access to quality seeds and creating value-added agricultural infrastructure.

The chief minister also announced that a new spice processing unit in Ri-Bhoi would be inaugurated within the next few months, describing it as part of efforts to expand value addition for agricultural produce in the state.

During the event, two reports — The Bamboo Resource Inventory of Meghalaya and the State-Wide Inventory of Arecanut and Other Horticulture Tree Plantations — were also released.

Umroi MLA Damanbait Lamare said the plant would support bamboo growers and encourage organic farming in the region. He also highlighted the economic potential of the upcoming spice processing facility.

Eastern Ri-Bhoi Organic FPC chief executive Revistar Kharumnuid said the organisation had already engaged 10 organic farmer producer organisations and expected around 4,500 farmers to benefit from the upcoming Spice PRIME Hub project. He added that 150 bamboo growers and 500 ginger farmers had been enrolled under the biochar initiative.

According to officials, the biochar initiative has begun as a pilot project across two clusters in the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo regions. Two pyrolysis reactors have already been installed at Umsli, while two more are being set up at Dadenggre in the West Garo Hills district.

Officials said the initiative forms part of Meghalaya’s broader target of bringing 100,000 hectares under organic cultivation by 2028 while promoting rural livelihood opportunities linked to sustainable agriculture.