Banteidor Lyngdoh, Meghalaya agriculture and farmers' welfare minister, inaugurated the bio-fertilizer production unit, the first of its kind in the public sector in the northeast at a function on Monday at the State Biological Control Laboratory in Upper Shillong.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister congratulated the officers and staff of the agriculture department for their efforts in making this dream a reality for the state's farmers. He also added that it is a turning point for the state of Meghalaya and the department of agriculture and farmers' welfare, as well as a step ahead in making Meghalaya an organic state.
"At the moment, meeting the expectations of the state's farmers is a significant issue, and the bio-fertilizer production unit is the beginning of a small step to bridge the gap between supply and demand," the minister added.
He also encouraged the qualified youth and entrepreneurs to seize this opportunity and work hand in hand with the government to establish similar units across the state.
KN Kumar, chairman of the Meghalaya Farmers' Empowerment Commission, stated that the bio-fertilizer production unit is the first of its kind to be established by a public sector unit in the entire northeastern region.
"In Meghalaya, the requirement of fertilizer application per year is 22,000 metric tonnes, whereas the current production in the state is a mere 150 metric tonnes per year," he said, expressing hope that more production units can be set up in the coming years, with the involvement of private sectors (entrepreneurs), to meet the state's ever-increasing demand.
