Meghalaya State Organic Mission (MSOM)
Introduction
Government of Meghalaya launched the State Organic Mission to institutionalize natural practices into formal standards compliant with the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). The approach emphasizes:
• Leveraging existing naturally organic practices.
• Streamlining certification processes.
• Developing market-oriented organic value chains.
• Ensuring traceability and sustainable livelihoods.
This mission is implemented under the Meghalaya Organic and Natural Farming Policy 2023, which envisions Meghalaya as a leading state in sustainable agricultural production, conservation, and fair-trade marketing of organic produce.
Strategy Framework
Building upon the strong foundation of Meghalaya's organic heritage and the experience from the Mission Organic launched in 2013-14 and the MOVCNER (Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region) scheme, Meghalaya State Organic Mission (2024-28) adopts a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy to achieve its ambitious goals for expanding certified organic land and empowering farmers.
Government of Meghalaya launched the State Organic Mission to institutionalize natural practices into formal standards compliant with the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). The approach emphasizes:
• Leveraging existing naturally organic practices.
• Streamlining certification processes.
• Developing market-oriented organic value chains.
• Ensuring traceability and sustainable livelihoods.
This mission is implemented under the Meghalaya Organic and Natural Farming Policy 2023, which envisions Meghalaya as a leading state in sustainable agricultural production, conservation, and fair-trade marketing of organic produce.
Strategy Framework
Building upon the strong foundation of Meghalaya's organic heritage and the experience from the Mission Organic launched in 2013-14 and the MOVCNER (Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region) scheme, Meghalaya State Organic Mission (2024-28) adopts a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy to achieve its ambitious goals for expanding certified organic land and empowering farmers.
Objective
Convert 1,00,000 hectares of land to certified organic by 2028.
Convert 1,00,000 hectares of land to certified organic by 2028.
Strategies
1. Focus on existing initiatives: Support and sustain the 18,948.413 hectares of land under live certification.
2. Mode of Implementation: Six Service Providers have been engaged under the Meghalaya State Organic Mission to ensure effective implementation at the field level. These agencies are responsible for farmer training, continuous handholding support, Internal Control System (ICS) management, documentation, and certification activities in accordance with the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) norms. Each Service Provider operates within designated districts, facilitating the transition of farmers to certified organic cultivation through adherence to standardized protocols and quality benchmarks.
3. Ongoing initiative: Implementation of Phase 3 of the MOVCDNER scheme consisting of 8000 Ha of land under conversion and in IC2 stage of certification.
1. Focus on existing initiatives: Support and sustain the 18,948.413 hectares of land under live certification.
2. Mode of Implementation: Six Service Providers have been engaged under the Meghalaya State Organic Mission to ensure effective implementation at the field level. These agencies are responsible for farmer training, continuous handholding support, Internal Control System (ICS) management, documentation, and certification activities in accordance with the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) norms. Each Service Provider operates within designated districts, facilitating the transition of farmers to certified organic cultivation through adherence to standardized protocols and quality benchmarks.
3. Ongoing initiative: Implementation of Phase 3 of the MOVCDNER scheme consisting of 8000 Ha of land under conversion and in IC2 stage of certification.
| Area Covered (Ha) | 8000 |
| Number of farmers | 9867 |
| Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) | 16 |
4. Targeted Intervention (Phase 1) with 29,761.09 ha of land
i. MOVCDNER Phase 4: Under Phase IV of the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), fresh land clusters were identified and brought under organic certification. Eleven new Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) were formed, covering approximately 500 hectares of agricultural land. These newly formed FPOs are being supported to establish internal control systems (ICS), undertake capacity-building programs, and develop post-harvest infrastructure in line with value chain principles.
i. MOVCDNER Phase 4: Under Phase IV of the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), fresh land clusters were identified and brought under organic certification. Eleven new Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) were formed, covering approximately 500 hectares of agricultural land. These newly formed FPOs are being supported to establish internal control systems (ICS), undertake capacity-building programs, and develop post-harvest infrastructure in line with value chain principles.
| Name of the SP | District | Number of Groups | No. of Farmers | No. of Villages | Area Covered (Ha) |
| Clover | East Khasi Hills | 1 | 409 | 500 | |
| Ri Bhoi | 3 | 1042 | 1500 | ||
| HIFEED | West Khasi Hills | 1 | 467 | 500 | |
| West Jaintia Hills | 1 | 454 | 500 | ||
| East Jaintia Hills | 1 | 420 | 500 | ||
| South Garo Hills | 1 | 368 | 500 | ||
| M.R Morarka | North Garo Hills | 1 | 445 | 500 | |
| West Garo Hills | 1 | 484 | 500 | ||
| East Garo Hills | 1 | 193 | 500 | ||
| Total | 11 | 4282 | 5,500 |
ii. Meghalaya State Organic Mission – Phase I Implementation: In the first phase of the Meghalaya State Organic Mission (MSOM), priority has been given to leveraging and strengthening existing cooperatives and Integrated Village Cooperative Societies (IVCS) already active in various districts. This approach aims to build upon the institutional foundations created under previous projects such as Megha-LAMP and FOCUS, ensuring continuity, efficient resource utilization, and quicker field-level adoption of organic certification processes.
| Name of the SP | Name of District | Number of Groups | No. of Farmers | No. of Villages | Area Covered (Ha) |
| Clover | East Khasi Hills | 11 | 1735 | 30 | 2130.5 |
| Ri Bhoi | 9 | 688 | 27 | 1106.6 | |
| Colks | West Khasi Hills | 13 | 2043 | 46 | 3000 |
| Eastern West Khasi Hills | 5 | 915 | 22 | 1230.68 | |
| Southwest Khasi Hills | 6 | 672 | 12 | 914.72 | |
| HIFEED | West Jaintia Hills | 12 | 1891 | 20 | 2069.4 |
| East Jaintia Hills | 12 | 2462 | 62 | 2073.32 | |
| M.R Morarka | North Garo Hills | 10 | 1554 | 54 | 1424 |
| East Garo Hills | 17 | 2686 | 74 | 2734.7 | |
| M/S Fridina | South Garo Hills | 10 | 1832 | 104 | 2548.17 |
| Yashowati Bio-Multitechs Unti 2 | Southwest Garo Hills | 10 | 1778 | 48 | 2498 |
| West Garo Hills | 10 | 1553 | 53 | 2500 | |
| Total | 125 | 21103 | 552 | 24261.09 |
iii. Meghalaya State Organic Mission – Phase 2 Implementation with 43,290 ha of land: Under Phase II of the Meghalaya State Organic Mission, emphasis will be placed on expanding organic cultivation through the conversion of new agricultural areas into certified organic land. The phase will focus on a diversified crop approach, ensuring a wider inclusion of horticultural and agricultural crops suited to the state’s agro-climatic conditions. New areas will be systematically surveyed, and farmers will be mobilized and organized into cooperative societies to facilitate collective implementation, capacity building, and certification.
Cost Norms for Meghalaya State Organic Mission – Phase I
The cost structure follows both MIDH and MOVCDNER norms standardized for a three-year production and certification cycle.
The cost structure follows both MIDH and MOVCDNER norms standardized for a three-year production and certification cycle.
| S No | Component | Rate | Total |
| 1 | Training, hand holding, ICS management, documentation, and certification of crop production through service providers (As per MIDH) | Rs. 10,000/Ha. For 3 years | Rs. 10,000/Ha. For 3 years |
| 2 | Assistance for on-farm input production infrastructure Inclusive of on farm farmer's training | 1. Rs. 3750/Ha Assistance on On-Farm Input 2. Rs. 500/ Ha Training on Farm Input | Rs. 4250/Ha |
| 3 | Assistance for off-farm inputs inclusive of training on Off Farm Inputs | 1. Rs. 3750/Ha, Assistance on Off Farm Input 2. Rs. 500/ Ha Training on Off Farm Input | Rs. 4250/Ha |
| 4 | Assistance for quality seed and planting materials (50% of max. Rs. 35,000/ha limited to the actual cost as per crop) | 1. Rs 17,500/ Ha Assistance for quality seed and planting materials 2. Rs. 500/Ha Training on quality seeds and planting material | Rs 18,000/Ha (Rs 500 for training) |
| Rs 36,500 | |||
Progress under Meghalaya State Organic Mission – Phase I : Released of Funds for Planting Materials
| Sl. No. | District | Identified area (Ha) | Released Funds for off Farm | |||||
| 1st Tranche for all Crops @₹ 2492/Ha | 2nd Tranche for Ginger & Turmeric @₹6258/ha | Funds from other intervention only Ginger | Total (₹) | 1st Year @₹1250/ha | Training @₹ 166/ha | |||
| 1 | EKH | 2130.5 | 53,09,206.00 | 11,21,077 | 24,02,400.00 | 88,32,683.00 | 26,63,125.00 | 3,53,663.00 |
| 2 | WKH | 3000 | 74,76,000.00 | 1,40,80,500 | 1,69,41,600.00 | 3,84,98,100.00 | 37,50,000.00 | 4,98,000.00 |
| 3 | RBD | 1106.6 | 27,57,647.20 | 6,38,316 | 11,70,000.00 | 45,65,963.20 | 13,83,250.00 | 1,83,695.60 |
| 4 | EWKH | 1230.68 | 30,66,854.56 | 46,88,368.44 | 94,06,800.00 | 1,71,62,023.00 | 15,38,350.00 | 2,04,292.88 |
| 5 | EJH | 2073.32 | 51,66,713.44 | 74,78,935.80 | 3,07,32,000.00 | 4,33,77,649.24 | 25,91,650.00 | 3,44,171.12 |
| 6 | WJH | 2069.4 | 51,56,944.80 | 1,29,50,305 | 85,02,000.00 | 2,66,09,249.80 | 25,86,750.00 | 3,43,520.40 |
| 7 | NGH | 1455 | 36,25,860.00 | 14,33,082.00 | 52,10,400.00 | 1,02,69,342.00 | 18,18,750.00 | 2,41,530.00 |
| 8 | EGH | 2734.7 | 68,14,872.40 | 71,89,565.88 | 80,49,600.00 | 2,20,54,038.28 | 34,18,375.00 | 4,53,960.20 |
| 9 | WGH | 2500 | 62,30,000.00 | 31,29,000 | 78,00,000.00 | 1,71,59,000.00 | 31,25,000.00 | 4,15,000.00 |
| 10 | SGH | 2548.17 | 63,50,039.64 | 5,94,285 | 93,600.00 | 70,37,924.64 | 31,85,212.50 | 4,22,996.22 |
| 11 | SWGH | 2498 | 62,25,016.00 | 17,77,272 | 80,02,288.00 | 31,22,500.00 | 4,14,668.00 | |
| 12 | SWKH | 914.72 | 22,79,482.24 | - | 22,79,482.24 | 11,43,400.00 | 1,51,843.52 | |
| Total | 24261.09 | 6,04,58,636.28 | 5,50,80,707 | 9,03,08,400.00 | 20,58,47,743.28 | 3,03,26,362.50 | 40,27,340.94 | |
Summary of Planting Material Distributed
| Sl. No | Crops | Quantity of Planting material/Seeds distributed |
| 1 | Black Pepper | 19,89,316 Nos. |
| 2 | Pineapple | 14,12,449 Nos. |
| 3 | Ginger | 13,10,813 Kg |
| 4 | Kiwi | 2,08,665 Nos. |
| 5 | Banana | 94,525 Nos. |
| 6 | Turmeric | 3,65,443 Kgs |
| 7 | Cocoa | 46,290 Nos. |
| 8 | Wild pepper | 50,237 Nos. |
| 9 | Khasi Mandarin | 2,17,700 Nos. |
| 10 | Large Cardamom | 28,000 Nos. |
Expenditure during 2024-25 under Meghalaya State Organic Mission
| Payment to Service Providers | 4,85,22,480 |
| Off Farm Inputs | 3,03,26,363 |
| On Farm Inputs | 40,27,341 |
| Planting Materials | 11,55,29,154 |
| Special assistance for Ginger seeds + Training | 9,11,02,210 |
Monitoring and Reporting
An integrated monitoring system ensures:
- Monthly reporting from Service Providers to MEGNOLIA.
- District-level validation of physical and financial progress.
- Annual evaluation by APEDA-accredited certification agencies.
Brand Building Initiative to promote and market organic produce
To provide a unified market identity for the state’s organic produce, the Government of Meghalaya officially launched its flagship brand “Meghalaya Collectives Organic” during the World Food India 2025 event in New Delhi. The brand represents a single platform that brings together farmers, cooperatives, and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) under one credible and traceable identity, ensuring transparency, authenticity, and quality assurance for consumers.
The initiative was jointly inaugurated by the Hon’ble Union Minister for Food Processing Industries and the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya. The brand was introduced as part of the state’s Organic Mission 2024–2028, which targets certification of one lakh hectares and aims to consolidate Meghalaya’s position as a national leader in organic agriculture.
The Meghalaya Collectives Organic label unifies premium high-value crops such as Lakadong turmeric, Sohiong (blackberry), Khasi mandarin, Kew pineapple, and black pepper under a common branding and traceability framework. It ensures that each product originates from certified production clusters across the state, is supported by Internal Control Systems (ICS), and meets the organic certification standards recognized by APEDA under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).
The brand will strengthen consumer trust while enhancing the global marketing potential of Meghalaya's organic products. It serves as a gateway for expanding access to premium domestic and international markets including the Middle East, Europe, and North America through systematic certification and storytelling of the products’ origin, quality, and sustainability values.
