Shillong, Jun 14: The sixth edition of Farmers’ Market held yesterday at the parking lot of the Directorate of Fisheries (opposite St. Edmund’s College), Shillong drew large numbers of customers eager to buy locally grown vegetables and fruits such as tomato, radish, pineapple and others.
The Farmers’ Market was organised by the 1917 iTEAMS under the Directorate of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare with support from the Meghalaya Farmers (Empowerment) Commission.
“At every instance, there would be close to 20 farmers taking part, which means more than 100 farmers from the first to this sixth edition,” said Gavin C. Shullai, Programme Manager, 1917 iTEAMS.
Prin Ronghang, chairman of Umwang Pyllun IVCS, Ri-Bhoi District, shared that ‘Mauritius’ pineapple variety was among the produce brought by farmers at the market.
According to him, the cultivation of ‘Mauritius’ was through the support of Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA).
Meghalaya currently cultivates varieties of ‘Kew’ and ‘Queen’ pineapples.
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“Mauritius variety is sold here so that other farmers could learn about them,” Ronghang said while also expressing his gratitude to the 1917 iTEAMS for giving farmers the opportunity to participate in the Farmers Market.
Ronghang also said that ‘Mauritius’ pineapple has a longer shelf life compared to other pineapples grown in the State, which contain more water and often get spoiled within 3-4 days thus making transportation outside the State difficult.
He called on farmers to increase production since companies require produce in thousands of metric tons.
Thirda Mary, a woman from Jongksha village in East Khasi Hills District, said that the vegetables she showcased and sold at the Farmers Market are organically grown.
“Some of the vegetables are sold directly at the markets, while others are marketted through middlemen. We are thankful for this opportunity to showcase and sell our produce here at the Farmers Market,” she said.
Shillong-based hyperlocal quick-commerce platform ‘SOMOI’ partnered with the government initiative to deliver products directly from the Farmers Market to households across Shillong city. This helped farmers expand their customer base beyond footfall at the venue besides generating employment opportunities for local youth working as delivery personnel.
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