Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on June 21 said that the state government is working on a number of interventions to promote value-added jackfruit products in the state under its flagship scheme Jackfruit Mission.

In 2018, the Jackfruit Mission was launched and it is being implemented by the Directorate of Food Processing, Government of Meghalaya.

Through the programme, the government is supporting the farmers engaged in jackfruit plantation and is providing training and other support to leverage their activities by connecting them with market linkage.

Speaking at the Nano Jackfruit Entrepreneurs event at the College of Community Science, Sangma said that with jackfruit grown abundantly in the state, the jackfruit mission was launched with a view to creating livelihood, value chain, etc.

"The mission will be a game-changer as the demand for jackfruit products in the international market are very high," he said.

Lauding the efforts of the entrepreneurs, the Chief Minister said that the State Govt. will provide help to the nano entrepreneurs to take the mission forward thereby bringing the benefits of jackfruit to the people.

Conrad Sangma also informed about the Chief Minister’s Support for Producers Group, wherein Rs 5000 each is provided to individuals who collectively come together to form a group.

"Under the programme, each individual entrepreneurs or farmers with similar interest can come together and avail the support to further their entrepreneurial activities or use it as a startup fund to begin their venture,” he said.

He informed that Rs 5 crores have already been sanctioned to take this project forward.

He also informed that the government is playing a proactive role to create market linkages with neighbouring Bangladesh, and the Arab countries to create a value chain, job opportunity, etc.

He also took the opportunity to inform the entrepreneurs that the government is supporting a group to start a packaging unit in Meghalaya, which will enable farmers and entrepreneurs to aid in branding and packaging their value-added food and fruit products.

During the event, the Chief Minister also interacted with entrepreneurs, who have been working in the food processing sector with very small set-ups in different parts of Garo Hills.

He said that the Government is upbeat to upscale and connect the farmers and entrepreneurs to the market and also provide support through different “Entrepreneurship Promotion Programme” of the Government viz., Prime Hub, E-Championship Challenge, etc.

He also informed that Technology Incubation Centre is coming up at the College of Community Science in Tura.

West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, Ram Singh, highlighted the food and nutritional values of jackfruit and said that streamlining of jackfruit processing will be achieved under the able leadership of the chief minister.