Current Affairs - State - Discussion

The Meghalaya government has launched 'Mission Lakadong' to achieve a five-fold increase in the production of Lakadong turmeric, an organic variety of turmeric grown in Meghalaya, to at least 50,000 metric tonne per year in the next 5 years. This mission will be implemented by the directorate of horticulture, the Community and Rural Development department, the Forest department, the North Eastern Hill University and the Meghalaya Institute of Entrepreneurship under the direct supervision of the Governor's secretariat. Objective of 'Mission Lakadong' is to improve the livelihood and income of farmers involved in Lakadong turmeric cultivation. The mission also aims to more than double the crop area from the current 2,577 hectare to 6,070 hectare over the next 5 years. The productivity of Lakadong turmeric will also be improved from 6 MT per hectare to 8 MT per hectare area with the introduction of the advanced technologies of plant propagation and post harvest technology induction.