A ‘Farmer Orientation Workshop on Buckwheat in Meghalaya’ was held here today at the Moreau Institute of Integral Training and Research Society (MIIT).
Organized by the Meghalaya Farmers’ (Empowerment) Commission (MFEC) in collaboration with the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), East Khasi Hills, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, the workshop was attended by personnel of the KVKs and Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) of the Khasi, Jaintia Hills and Ri-Bhoi accompanied by progressive farmers, known as Farmer Friends, of all the blocks of the above districts.
KN Kumar, chairman of the MFEC, was present on the occasion. In keeping with the commission’s mandate to serve as a bridge between farmers and the government, the workshop was organized with the objective of facilitating lab to land transfer of knowledge, technology and induction of new crops through creation of awareness amongst extension personnel and progressive farmers or Farmer Friends about buckwheat as a superfood, its nutritive status, its suitability as a supplementary income generating crop in between two main crops for small farmers and its potential as a hardy, low cost, nutritious food security crop very much in demand both within the country and outside, especially Japan.
A pioneering initiative of the commission together with L Kharkrang, former Director of Agriculture, interest in buckwheat cultivation was sparked off via the North East Food Show (NEFS) 2019, which exposed Meghalaya farmers to the potential of the global buckwheat market through their interaction with international buyers.
As a result of the commission’s intervention and tie up with the VKPS, Almora, which provided the initial seed material, a small trial was taken up in the village of Umtong, East Khasi Hills and the KVK Upper Shillong in 2020 which failed due to the devastating impact of cyclone Amphan.
However, trials under protected cultivation in the BRDC Upper Shillong and subsequent trials in the KVK were successful in the production of seed which became the foundation for a successful pilot plantation of 4 acres involving 25 farmers in 2021.
The visit of the Japanese ambassador to Shillong in November 2021 sparked off Japanese interest in buckwheat from Meghalaya as well as enquiries and buy offers from other quarters. In view of the emerging demand for buckwheat, today’s workshop was a first step towards generating sufficient awareness and momentum to scale up the cultivation of buckwheat from 4 acres to 1,000 acres over the next three to four years with 100 acres tentatively targeted this year itself along with induction of associated post-harvest technology.
