About Company

We believe in adopting benchmarks for a fairer source of livelihood through initiatives such as the production of fresh mushrooms and their value-added products for a brighter and wealthier future.

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Megha Food Mulitpurpose Cooperative Society Ltd

Who we are

Who, or what is THE MEGHA FOOD? Megha Food Cooperative Society is a special-purpose company created for oyster mushroom production incorporated by MMCS and MLF together under the aegis of MoMSME, GoI.

The primary interest of the company is supporting the establishment and growth of the oyster mushroom as an industry in the state by empowering the tribal people, especially women to reach their full potential by imparting life skills. MFCS works with tribal people in the cluster; people who are concerned about improving their quality of life in the face of major changes that are taking place in the agriculture industry.

The state-of-the-art facility envisages empowering unskilled and semi-skilled mushroom farmers by providing end-to-end support through technology, capacity building, value addition and access to funds & markets. We aim to create sustainability in farmers’ income through infrastructure development and building a robust supply chain line through the cultivation of Oyster mushrooms.

Our History

At the time when COVID-19 hit the communities we live and work in, all over the world, a need was felt to continue with the work and support that was being provided to tribal communities in the state of Meghalaya. It was at that time, the project was launched under the PRIME (now FOCUS) initiative of GoM with funding support from MoMSME, GoI.

With relentless, continuous efforts and ground support from Mendipathar Multipurpose Cooperative Society (MMCS) and Madhukar Livelihood Foundation (MLF) to support, encourage and empower the tribal mushroom farmers in the region OYSTER MUSHROOM CLUSTER was launched.

What do we do

A PUBLIC PRIVATE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP (PPCP) MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT

Megha Food supports tribal farmers from production up to the marketing of fresh oyster mushrooms, dry mushrooms, and other value-added products (with input and output support) thereby creating an enabling ecosystem to help improve the livelihoods of the rural tribal farmers and contribute to assuring that safe and good-quality mushrooms reach the consumers.

We work to address the causes of malnutrition with a special focus on children below 5 years, pregnant women and mothers through finding solutions that supplement their food & nutrition requirements at the same time. Provide support in SHG training, and capacity building at the Anganwadis (childcare centres).

Megha Food’s efforts in the North Garo Hills region are centred (mainly on the women farmers) on providing the necessary skills in all elements of oyster mushroom farming.

OUR Vision OUR Mission

VISION: A time when tribal people, hailing from low-income families and residing in remote villages, would be healthy, and financially secure by engaging in a livelihood activity that provides ease of enhancing their income.

MISSION: Addressing & Preventing malnutrition in children below 5 years, pregnant women and mothers thereby improving QUALITY OF LIFE through clearly defined intervention priorities, improved tools and job aids, skill development, and increased last-connect.

OBJECTIVES

Improve productivity by giving farmers standardized Ready to Fruit (RTF) bags (bags to be prepared at CFC).
Mushroom production and cropping unit for training and capacity building for farmers.
The CFC must have the following features:
- Spawn Production Unit (commercial and lab)
- Dehydration, Powder, Pickle, and Packaging Section Buyer Connect
- Training, capacity building, and support
Improvement of quality products not just for fresh mushrooms but also for value-added goods in an existing cluster.
Increasing the farmer base from 634+ to 1000+ farmers in the cluster.

Interventions

MUSHROOM FARMING 4.0

BUILDING A FARMING ORGANIZATION: OYSTER MUSHROOM CLUSTER (working with tribal farmers, particularly women who work in smallholder agriculture, or as farm or non-farm labour). Supporting the community develop secure and resilient livelihoods and improve living standards by implementing this innovative project. Capability enhancement, asset creation, collectivization, inclusive value chain development, and participation of males and other prominent actors are some of the primary tactics used in livelihood sector efforts.

Harnessing cutting-edge research and innovation to build strategic partnerships thereby empowering 1016 + smallholder tribal farmers from 23 villages in Resubelpara Block of North Garo Hills and ensuring their productive and equitable participation in the sustainable agriculture production system. 60-65% of the farmers are women farmers and almost 85% of farmers’ landholding pattern varies from 0-1acre. The project is being undertaken with support from MoMSME, GoI MBDA, and GoM and is implemented jointly by MMCS and MLF.

OUR ACTIVITIES

To directly improve livelihoods through economic, nutritional and medicinal contributions by promoting and supporting Oyster Mushroom cultivation in the cluster region

To support small holder farmers, the project has taken a system-based approach, where each individual household operates as the unit of implementation and provides support for all inputs & outputs through the CFC to its farmer members.

Changing the attitudes of agriculture and horticulture institutions, service providers, and market organizations toward smallholder tribal farmers, particularly women.

To enhance skills and capacities of the smallholder farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices and build inclusive and effective communes of smallholder farmers to address their needs.

OUTCOME OF INTERVENTIONS

2500

Present Avg. Monthly income of Farmer (in Rs.)

4050

Avg. Monthly income of Farmer (1st yr.) (in Rs.)

4500

Avg. Monthly income of Farmer (2nd Yr.) (in Rs.)

5000

Avg. Monthly income of Farmers (3rd yr.) (in Rs.)

5500

Avg. Monthly income of Farmers (4th yr.) (in Rs.)

6000

Avg. Monthly income of Farmers (5th yr.) (in Rs.)

140%

% increase from present to end of 5 years

Impact Of Interventions

The prime aim of the project is to set up a standardized production facility to enhance the quality and quantity of production for fresh and value-added products, thus increasing the income levels of the farmer.

DIGITALLY EMPOWERED CLUSTER FOR PRODUCTION MAPPING, MARKETING AND FARMER SUPPORT SYSTEM

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