Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has defended the state Cabinet’s decision to lift the ban on chemical fertilisers, despite the government’s push for organic farming. Sangma explained that the government is adopting a ‘just transition’ approach to ensure that farmers’ livelihoods are not affected by the shift to organic agriculture. The Chief Minister emphasized that the transition to organic farming cannot happen overnight.
According to Sangma, farming practices that have been followed for decades cannot be stopped immediately, as this could affect the livelihoods of thousands of farmers. If you suddenly stop something that people have depended on for years, you potentially harm their livelihoods and the way they live, he said. Sangma reiterated that the government’s long-term goal remains to make Meghalaya a fully organic state, but noted that this transition would take time and require careful planning.
The government aims to achieve certain milestones in the coming years, with the ultimate objective of making Meghalaya 100 per cent organic. However, Sangma acknowledged that the transition depends on several factors, including increasing the production of organic fertilisers, bringing down their cost, creating better markets for organic produce, and improving logistics from farms to consumers. Organic farming is not only about replacing chemical fertilisers.
The entire ecosystem has to be ready, including production, pricing, marketing and transportation, he said. Sangma added that these challenges make it impractical to immediately replace conventional farming practices with organic methods. It is not possible to stop one system today and expect another to begin tomorrow.
The transition has to happen in a phased manner, he said.
