Jack Start 2023: Agriculture Minister aims to prevent rural to urban migration by boosting agri activities

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 28, 2023

Agriculture Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh maintained that it is time for the state government to improve activities in agriculture and horticulture to ensure there is no rural to urban migration.

The minister casually interacted with farmer-producer groups from across the district in the state that showcased their products made from Jackfruit after a programme held at State Convention Center on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters after the one-day event titled ‘Jack Start 2023’ organized by the Directorate of Food Processing, she said, “It is time for the state government to revisit agriculture and horticulture and see how we can give benefits to the people of the state and there is no need for them to migrate to urban areas.”

She said that in her interaction with the former producing groups, she learnt that it has generated a lot of employment and the entrepreneurs are earning some of them between Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000.

“You now realize that we have markets not just locally but we now also have a high potential of a foreign market linkage,” she said.

Having learnt that the state has a million plus jackfruit tree that grows on its own in the wild, she referred to the items made from Jackfruit and the pharmaceutical usage of the fruit.

Stating that it is important for the state to have continuity, she said, “Having understood this entire phenomenon, I now am poised to take this up with the chief minister and request for the continuation of this jackfruit mission to jackfruit mission 2.0.”

Being informed that the department had asked for Rs 20,000 crores for Jackfruit mission but the government of Meghalaya gave Rs 5 crores, she said that Jackfruit mission has yielded positive results despite the shortfall.

“We need to pump substantial amounts of funds so that we are able to ensure that this mission results in a huge market avenue that is very important for the people of the state, given the fact that unemployment is a major gap in the state of Meghalaya,” Lyngdoh said.  

The Agriculture Minister also stressed on setting up a research institute which will further give insight into the values and the varieties of jackfruit.

Lyngdoh said, “So apparently the government of India is partnering with state governments for the installation of such research centers and if over 2000 plus out of the 6000 villages in the state of Meghalaya have jackfruit in the backyard, it would be an incentive that will be worthwhile. So, if it is going to be good for farmers and it is productive for farmers, we must handhold these farmers.”

Mission Jackfruit was launched in 2018 as a five-year programme and is being implemented under the Directorate of Food Processing.

This mission helps to catalyse and promote sustainable rural and urban livelihoods, assist the beneficiaries through establishment of small scale and nano enterprises, creation of a value chain for jackfruit products and generate employment opportunities along the value chain for unemployed youth, protect and preserve catchment areas, provide an additional source of income for rural and urban families through the commercialisation of its processing and value addition, developing the markets for jackfruit and its value added products through a focused and professional go to market and field to fork strategy.