Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma today inaugurated the PRIME (Promotion and Incubation of Market-Driven Enterprises) Hub at Diengkynthong village in Khatarshnong Laitkroh, East Khasi Hills District.
The hub is one of 18 across the State being established by the IFAD-supported Meghalaya Livelihoods and Access to Markets Project (Megha-LAMP) of the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) in partnership with SCSTE.
PRIME Hubs are state-wide incubation hubs set up primarily to help and handhold small and marginal farmers, producer groups, and agri-entrepreneurs realize improved incomes through high-leverage market access and credit linkages, technical know-how, better quality seeds, value addition activities such as processing and packaging, and support funding.
In his address, the Chief Minister stated that PRIME Hubs are avenues that can help the small and marginal farmers of the State explore opportunities for their growth through trainings, banking assistance, market linkages, skill development, project report preparation and guidance.
Stating that people in rural Meghalaya often faced challenges and difficulties in terms of improving their livelihood activities due to lack of knowledge and guidance, therefore to bridge this gap, PRIME Hubs are being set up across the State, he said. Through these hubs people will have access to different business opportunities, he added.
The hub at Diengkynthong IVCS will become an economic zone for farmers and producers, he said. He also mentioned that farmers market, Collective Marketing Centre is being constructed in its vicinity, besides a Processing Unit will also be set up.
Further, Sangma spoke of the different programmes initiated by the government such as the FOCUS, YES, etc to improve the development of the State and said that this hub will act as the base where all government programmes will run that can help to upscale production, processing and employment generation.
Lauding the efforts of the IVCS at Diengkynthong, the Chief Minister encouraged the people to come forward and take advantage of these facilities and to continue their support to the hub and make it successful even in the years to come.
Also present at the occasion were Commissioner and Secretary and Project Director of Meghalya-LAMP Vijay Kumar D, officials and representatives of various line departments including the Block Development Officer, Khatarshnong Laitkroh Block, MBMA officials, and community members and farmer groups from the region.
