Meghalaya has achieved a significant milestone in agricultural exports with the recent dispatch of 10 metric tonnes of organic black pepper from South Garo Hills to Mumbai. This marks the region’s second major consignment, following an 11-tonne shipment in 2023.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma shared the news on social media, noting that the pepper was sourced through the Kerupara and Dingampara Integrated Village Cooperative Societies (IVCS) in the Zikzak block of South West Garo Hills. The shipment was procured by Everest Spices, a prominent Mumbai-based company.
“This shipment reflects the growing market for Meghalaya’s organic produce,” Sangma posted on X. “The success is powered by grassroots cooperatives supported by the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) and the Meghalaya Livelihoods and Access to Markets Project (MeLAMP), helping transform local organic black pepper—often called ‘black gold’—into a valuable economic driver.”
He highlighted that rising demand for organic spices is motivating more farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices. Meghalaya currently produces over 22,000 metric tonnes of spices annually, including turmeric, ginger, bay leaf, and black pepper. With the shift toward organic methods, the state is emerging as a major player in India’s high-value spice market, driven by cooperative-led farming in the Garo Hills.