Women Farmers Drive Meghalaya Jirang FPC Revenue to Rs 1.17 Crore

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Monday, 6 July 2026

Women farmers in Meghalaya are driving remarkable growth in the state's agricultural sector, with the Jirang Organic Agro Farmers Producer Company (FPC) increasing its annual revenue to more than Rs 1.17 crore in 2025 from just Rs 1.5 lakh during 2017-2021. The impressive rise has been fuelled by women-led farming, improved value addition, and stronger domestic and international market access for Meghalaya's GI-tagged pineapples and other premium organic produce.

Key Highlights

• Women farmers helped Jirang Organic Agro FPC grow annual revenue to over Rs 1.17 crore in 2025
• Meghalaya's GI-tagged pineapples have expanded into domestic and international markets, including Dubai
• A new pineapple pulp processing unit has strengthened value addition and increased farmer incomes

Established in 2017 in Ri-Bhoi district, the Jirang Organic Agro Farmers Producer Company comprises 433 farmers from 18 villages, with women making up nearly 75 per cent of its membership. Their leadership has strengthened rural livelihoods while enhancing the visibility of Meghalaya's organically grown agricultural products.

Around 200 women cultivators, including Ibalahun Thangkhiew and Daisy Wahlang, lead the production, processing, and marketing of the state's renowned pineapples, alongside Khasi Mandarin oranges, ginger, and black pepper. Their efforts have helped establish a strong market identity for Meghalaya's agricultural produce while improving incomes for farming communities.

Meghalaya is one of India's leading producers of premium-quality pineapples, known for their sweetness, rich aroma, low acidity, and organic cultivation. The crop is widely grown across Ri-Bhoi, Garo Hills, and parts of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, providing livelihoods to thousands of farming households. The state's GI-tagged pineapple has also earned international recognition after Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented it to the UAE President during his 2025 visit to the United Arab Emirates.

Chief Executive Officer Ibalahun Thangkhiew said the FPC has exported its products to Dubai and several Indian markets while continuing to promote women's empowerment and rural economic development. Strategic partnerships with Lulu Group, Safal-Mother Dairy, Reliance Retail, and Blinkit have also helped farmers secure better prices by reducing dependence on intermediaries.

Another major milestone came in September 2025 with the inauguration of Meghalaya's first aseptic pineapple pulp processing unit at Jirang. Developed under the Community-Public-Private Partnership model with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the FOCUS programme, the Rs 2.46 crore facility processes up to 10 metric tonnes of fresh fruit daily and produces 480-600 metric tonnes of pineapple pulp annually. The unit has reduced post-harvest losses, enabled year-round market access, and increased value addition for farmers.

The FPC's success reflects Meghalaya's wider strategy of strengthening farmer-owned value chains through initiatives such as the Meghalaya State Organic Mission, FOCUS, the Meghalaya Livelihoods and Access to Markets Programme (MLAMP), and CM FARM+, positioning women farmers at the centre of the state's sustainable agricultural growth.