Sustainable Land Management in Meghalaya - Grant Component

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The Sustainable Land Management in Meghalaya project (grant component) is designed to prepare and implement a nationwide program to promote agroecological and organic agricultural cultivation practices, including sales marketing, in the state of Meghalaya and in India (loan component). While the economic contribution of Meghalaya's agricultural sector has declined significantly in recent years, 83% of the population (mostly marginal agricultural households) are still dependent on agriculture. Most agricultural products are grown with little or no chemical additives. However, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is comparatively high on small farms. Many products are sold or consumed without any further added value. Many farmers also have no access to information, production-enhancing technologies, suitable agricultural inputs or animal feed. The project aims to establish sustainable land management practices and value chains with the help of efficient and functional support structures. The project supports the establishment of a functional project management unit with qualified staff, modern operating procedures, guidelines and cooperation agreements. Furthermore, packages of practices for traditional, agroecologically compliant cultivation methods for important foods are to be introduced. Finally, the preparatory project supports the development of functioning and sustainable value chains for at least two agricultural products in the region. The target group of the project are marginal agricultural households in 11 districts in Meghalaya. The project sponsor is the Meghalaya Basin Management Authority (MBMA). The total costs for the grant component amount to the equivalent of EUR 6.45 million, of which EUR 4.49 million are to be financed from an FC grant.