Shillong, Sep. 9: In a major push for rural development, ICICI Foundation, the CSR arm of ICICI Bank, has launched a large-scale agricultural initiative in Meghalaya’s Ri Bhoi district, aiming to boost crop productivity and farmer incomes.
The intervention, focused in the Umling block, seeks to tackle long-standing challenges faced by small and marginal farmers such as low yields, soil erosion, outdated cultivation practices, and limited access to quality planting material.
Large-Scale Distribution of Planting Material
As part of the programme, ICICI Foundation has distributed:
12.6 lakh healthy pineapple saplings to 310 farmers,
1.38 lakh kilograms of ginger seeds, and
49,350 kilograms of turmeric seeds.
Farmers are also being trained in modern and sustainable farming methods tailored to Meghalaya’s high rainfall conditions. The initiative promotes intercropping, sustainable cultivation, and the formation of Farmer Producer Groups and Cooperatives for collective marketing and improved price realisation.
Expansion of Cultivated Land
The effort has already resulted in a 10% expansion of cultivated land across 35 villages, with 300 acres now under pineapple farming. Productivity is expected to double to over 9,000 kilograms per acre, aligning with national benchmarks and potentially raising farmer earnings by ₹1.20 lakh per acre annually.
Spice Cultivation Gains Momentum
Spice farming is also witnessing strong participation:
871 farmers are cultivating ginger and turmeric.
277 acres are under ginger and 180.5 acres under turmeric.
Ginger productivity is projected at 3,200 kilograms per acre, while turmeric is expected to reach 1,000 kilograms per acre, both matching national averages after the crop cycle of around 1.8 years.
Earnings are projected to increase significantly:
Ginger farmers may earn an additional ₹1.13 lakh per acre annually,
Turmeric growers may earn an additional ₹25,000 per acre annually.
Long-Term Vision
The programme also envisions the establishment of local processing and storage units, which will help farmers reduce post-harvest losses and improve market access.
The project forms part of ICICI Foundation’s broader mission to strengthen rural livelihoods through targeted, scalable, and sustainable interventions across India.
