INDIAN STATE : MEGHALAYA

Major industries

Agriculture

Meghalaya is basically an agricultural state with about 80% of its total population depending entirely on agriculture for their livelihood. The total cropped area in the State has increased by about 42 per cent during the last twenty-five years. Food grain production sector covers an area of over 60 per cent of the total crop area.

Besides the major food crops of rice and maize, the state is also renowned for its horticultural crops like orange, lemon, pineapple, guava, litchi, banana, jack fruits and temperate fruits such as plum, pear, peach etc. potato, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, arecanut, tezpatta, betel vine, short-staple cotton, jute, mesta, mustard and rapseed etc. are some of the important cash crops in the State.

Apart from the above the state has achieved signal success in the cultivation of non-traditional crops like tea, cashew nut, oilseeds, tomato, mushroom, wheat, etc.

Today the state can claim that about 42 percent area under paddy has been covered with HYV with the average productivity of 2300 kgs/ha. So also is the case with Maize and Wheat where the productivity have increased tremendously with the introduction of HYV from 534 kgs/ha during 1971-72 to 1218 kgs/ha of Maize and from 611 kgs/ha to 1508 kgs/ha of Wheat.

New emphasis is laid on pulses, oilseeds and cash crops. An autonomous board is set up to promote plantation crops, pioneering work done in tea cultivation, with the State having 253 small tea growers at present.

Agro-based Industries

The potential for Agro-based industries in the state of Meghalaya is very high. The state produces substantial quantities of oranges, peaches, pineapples, pears, guavas, plums and bananas of superb variety. It also grows plenty of potatoes, tapioca, bay leaves, ginger, maize and jackfruit.

Meghalaya's turmeric, particularly the variety that is grown in Shangpung in the Jaintia Hills, is considered the best in the world and its curcumine content is as high as 7.5%. There is enough potential for setting up a starch based processing unit in the State. Plantation crops like coffee, rubber, black pepper and arecanut are also becoming important products. A major breakthrough has been made in tea cultivation and tea gardens have come up in various parts of the State.

Mineral Based Industry

Meghalaya with its wealth of mineral deposits has tremendous industrial potential. There are extensive deposits of coal, limestone, granite, clay and other minerals.

Coal deposits are available in all districts and particularly in the southern slopes of the state. The coal bears a low ash content and its calorific value ranges between 6500 to 7500 K.Cal/Kg. The total estimated reserve of coal is in the region of 640 million tonnes. The coal is mainly of sub-bituminous type and can be utilised in varied industries ranging from power, fertilizer, cement and textile to paper, rubber, brick burning and also pottery based industries. The coal that is found in the State can also be converted into coke to recover value added chemicals like light, medium and heavy oil, phenol and producer gas.

Limestone is another mineral that occurs in an extensive belt (approx. 200 Km. Long) along the Southern boarder of Meghalaya. The quality of limestone found here varies from cement grade to chemical grade having three brands as well. Total inferred reserve limestone within the State is about 5,000 million tonnes. The quality of limestone in the state has CaO content of 53% and can be of use in steel, fertilizer and chemical industries.

Granite of excellent quality is at present being mined in the East and West districts of Khasi hills. Sizeable deposits are estimated and can be found in various shades and colours.

Clay of various types such as Kaolin (China clay), white clay, and fire clay are found in various parts of the states. These clay are suitable for the ceramic, paper, rubber and refractory industries. It has been estimated that there are a few hundred million tonnes of clay reserved in the state.

Beside the above, other economically viable minerals like gypsum, phosphorite, glass-sand, base metals, quartz and feldspar can be located in various parts of the state. The State is also credited with having one of the most valuable sillimanite deposits in the world.

Floriculture

The climate of the State, particularly the areas near Shillong in East Khasi Hills District, is well suited for cut flower production. Proximity of Shillong to Guwahati and possibilities of restart of the Umroi Airport near Barapani, have strengthened the required infrastructure support for marketing of Floriculture Products from the State.

The Recommended Project Profiles are:

1. Area

a. Upper Shillong/Shillong
b. Barapani
c. Umiam

2. Products

a. Cymbidium, Carnation
b. Carnation, Gladiolus, Lilium
c. Carnation, Gladiolus, Lilium

Horticulture

The geo-climatic conditions of Meghalaya offer an excellent scope for growing of different types of horticultural crops including fruits, vegetables, spices, plantation crops medicinal and Aromatic plants of high economic values. A wide range of tropical, sub- tropical and temperate fruits such as Mandarin Orange, Pineapple, Banana, Lemon, Guava, Pear, Plum etc. are grown all over the state. A large variety of vegetables both indigenous and exotic are grown in many places of the state. The high altitudinal place of the state provides good opportunity to grow vegetables including Potato and Cole crops during the rainy season. Tuber and root crops such as Sweet Potato and Tapioca, Spice crops such as Turmeric, Ginger, Chillies, etc. grow abundantly in the state. Plantation crops such as Tea, Cashew nut, Coconut, Arecanut and Spice crops like Black pepper have been performing well and are coming up with promise. These in the long run can change the entire economic condition of the people of the state.

Growing of horticulture crops has the following distinct advantages over the traditional food crops:

i) Most of the horticulture crops are perennial in nature and offer larger biomass production;

ii) Horticulture crops and their products have high potentiality for export and foreign exchange earning;

iii) It enables productive and economic utilization of cultivable wasteland;

iv) Generates rural employment opportunities;

v) Provides viable alternative to shifting cultivation;

vi) Check Soil erosion and improves ecological balance.

Financial achievements

The Tenth Plan Outlay approved for Horticulture sector is Rs. 2150.00 lakhs. The expenditure during the first three years of the Tenth Plan was Rs.1436.86 lakhs constituting 66.83%. The approved outlay for the year 2005-06 is Rs.700.00 lakhs. The outlay for Annual Plan 2006-07 is Rs.770.00 lakhs.

Marketable Surplus Horticultural Crops in Meghalaya are given hereunder: