Jammu Tawi: Meghalaya State Agricultural Marketing Board, Government of Meghalaya, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mother Dairy Fruits and Vegetables Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). This agreement aims to enhance collaboration in agricultural marketing and supply chain management in Meghalaya.The signing witnessed the attendance of Conrad K Sangma, Hon'ble Chief Minister, Dr. Vijay Kumar D., Commissioner & Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Dr. Meenesh Shah, Chairman & Managing Director, National Dairy Development Board, Shri Frederick Roy Kharkongor, Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Department, Govt. of Meghalaya, Shri Manish Bandlish, Managing Director, Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt. Ltd; officials from the agriculture department and allied departments amongst others.Shri Conrad K Sangma, Hon'ble Chief Minister, expressed optimism about the MoU's success, highlighting its potential to establish a long-term partnership. “We are delighted with this MoU, as its scope will enhance logistics, significantly reducing transit time for our produce to reach larger markets. He is hopeful that Mother Dairy, a subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), with its extensive network, will greatly benefit our farmers,” he stated. The Hon'ble Chief Minister emphasized that the primary objective has always been to support farmers, enhance their livelihoods, and ensure better market pricing and value addition for their products. Dr. Meenesh Shah, Chairman and Managing Director, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) remarked that the NDDB along with its subsidiary companies is committed to undertake farmer centric initiatives in Meghalaya under the guidance of Hon'ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya. Frederick Roy Kharkongor, Principal Secretary of the Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Department, Government of Meghalaya, expressed optimism about the association, noting that this MoU is just the beginning of a larger journey. He emphasized that the dairy sector in Meghalaya still has significant potential for development.Dr. Vijay Kumar D., IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, highlighted that many households in Meghalaya rely on both agriculture and dairy sectors. Manish Bandlish, Managing Director, Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt. Ltd highlighted the role NDDB plays in bridging the gap between farmers and consumers, uniting them on a common platform. Speaking on the overwhelming response the pineapples from Meghalaya at Safal outlets in Delhi received from consumers, Shri Manish Bandlish also expressed that this initiative will expand and include more varieties from the state such as Ginger, Lakadong Turmeric and GI-tagged Khasi Mandarin.
