SHILLONG, NOV 1:
Six farmers and agripreneurs from Meghalaya were honoured with the ‘Krishi Gaurav Samman
2026’ for their contributions to sustainable farming and rural entrepreneurship, officials said on
Sunday.
The awards were presented at the Academic Assembly 2026 held on Saturday at the College of
Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences (CPGSAS), Central Agricultural University
(CAU), at Umiam in Ri-Bhoi district, they said.
The awardees were Chekjing Sangma of Sadolpara village in West Garo Hills for pioneering
modern millet farming and encouraging its cultivation; Darapbiang Mulieh of Khanduli village
in West Jaintia Hills for promoting millet value addition; and Sitrian Surong, also from
Khanduli, for preserving Meghalaya’s traditional millet heritage.
Trinity Saioo, popularly known as the ‘Lakadong Lady of Meghalaya’, from Mulieh village in
West Jaintia Hills, was honoured for championing indigenous Lakadong turmeric cultivation.
Jemnud Marpan of Thadnongniaw village in Ri-Bhoi district received the award for conserving
indigenous crops and agricultural biodiversity, while Midat M Binau, Professor of Practice at
Manipur University, Marngar, Ri-Bhoi, was recognised for his agripreneurial initiatives in
transforming traditional spice crops into global market opportunities.
Two of the awardees had earlier been acknowledged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the
139th episode of his radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ for their contributions to reviving and
promoting traditional millet cultivation in Meghalaya.
The Academic Assembly was organised jointly by Purvottar Janajati Shiksha Samiti (PJSS) and
CPGSAS, CAU, under the theme “Transforming Classrooms through NEP 2020: Integrating
Indigenous Wisdom, Culture and Experiential Learning”.
Addressing the gathering, CAU Vice-Chancellor Dr Anupam Mishra emphasised the need to
integrate indigenous knowledge with modern scientific innovations for sustainable agricultural
development.
He highlighted the traditional wisdom of tribal communities in biodiversity conservation, forest
management and natural resource preservation, and stressed the importance of scientific
documentation, value addition and community-based enterprises to strengthen rural livelihoods.
The event also featured interactive sessions with farmers and discussions on the National
Education Policy 2020, bringing together academicians, educationists, farmers and other
stakeholders.
It was attended by 375 registered participants representing various institutions and organisations
across the region.
The organisers said the recognition highlighted the role of farmers, particularly women and rural
entrepreneurs, in conserving traditional agricultural knowledge, strengthening local value chains
and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities. (Source: PTI)
