Describe the agriculture in Meghalaya

Agriculture is the main occupation of the people of Meghalaya. Of the total agricultural land in Meghalaya, 62% is used for food grains, 25% for cash crops, 9% for horticultural crops and the rest 4% is used for raising miscellaneous crops. The state offers scope for cultivation of a wide variety of agricultural crops because of highly diversified topography, altitude and climatic conditions.

Rice and Maize are the major food crops. Rice, the most important food crop and occupies about 44% of the total agricultural land. Maize is the next important agricultural food crop of Meghalaya. It is grown in about 8% of the cropped area and cultivated mainly in the plains of Garo hills, Mairang, Mawphlang and Laskeiñ block of Jaiñtia hills. Cotton, Jute, Mesta are the important fibre crops grown in the State. These crops have been the traditional cash crops of Garo Hills.

Besides the major food crops of rice and maize, the state is renowned for its horticultural crops like Orange, Pineapple, Lemon, Guava, Litchi, Jackfruit and Bananas; and fruits such as Plum, Pear and Peach. Meghalaya is the major producer of Khasi Mandarin, tagged as its most important fruit, both in the northern and southern slopes of the state. A large variety of fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, mushrooms and medicinal plants, both indigenous and exotic are grown across a wide range of agro climatic zones. Plantation crops such as Tea, Cashewnut, Coconut, Arecanut and other spice crop like Black Pepper have been performing well and offer good scope for area expansion. Cashew nut is one of the important plantation crop, which is mainly grown in Garo Hills of Meghalaya. A wide range of indigenous fruits are also cultivated in the State such as Soh phie (Myrica nagi), Sohïong (Prunus nepalensis), Sohshang (Eleagnus khasianum), Sohphlang (Flemingia vestitia), Soh phoh khasi (Docynia indica khasiana).

The major vegetable crops grown in the State are Cauliflower, Cabbage, Knol-Khol, Peas, Beans, Tomato, Carrot, Radish, Turnip, Beetroot, etc