Guwahati: The much-awaited celebration of Meghalaya’s flourishing strawberry fields and the rich agro-tourism offerings, the ‘Meghalaya Strawberry Festival,’ commenced on Friday (April 12), in different parts of the hill state. The inaugural ceremony of the vibrant celebration, aimed at spotlighting the luscious strawberries of Meghalaya, kicked off with great enthusiasm and fervour.
The two-day extravaganza unfolded across different locations of the state, each offering a unique blend of activities. The festival is being held at Sohliya, Umsning, Ri Bhoi, Iawpynsing, Nohron, East Khasi Hills, Kynktieh, Syntung, Darechikgre and West Garo Hills.
The organisers welcomed the visitors to participate and immerse themselves in various activities such as strawberry picking, cycling treks, live music, cultural performances, amalgamated with a special workshop on local beverages, among others.
Meghalaya Tourism Commissioner and Secretary Vijay Kumar D, who is supporting the festival, stated that strawberries thrive in the state due to favourable conditions and the hardworking farmers.
“Events like the Strawberry Festival, by integrating tourism with strawberry cultivation, aims to boost the livelihoods of the farmers and the enterprises. Strawberry cultivation could be expanded from 25-100 acres next year and possibly to 500 acres if the market opportunities are tapped. This expansion is expected to significantly improve the lives of the people of the state,” Kumar said.
Ostander Lyngkhoi, the village headman of Sohliya, expressed his gratitude to the Meghalaya Tourism department for supporting and making the festival a success. Lyngkhoi is a pioneer in the cultivation of strawberries, the first in the entire Northeast.
Secretary of the Meghalaya Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department Isawanda Laloo expressed her gratitude to the village headman and the people of Syntung, especially the farmers, for their hard work through which the strawberries of the village have gained recognition.
“It is the first time that the strawberry festival is being held at Syntung. The conditions for growing strawberries in the village are feasible, and it produces sweet and juicy fruits. The strawberries grown here can change and enable growth prospects of the entire village and the region as a whole as the sales are growing exponentially which has led to the farmers’ income increasing manifold,” Isawanda Laloo said.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of West Garo Hills Jagdish Chelani said that the Strawberry Festival has come out well to celebrate a product of Meghalaya which has a potential market and can be developed further. He added that if the strawberries are processed, they can be sold at a much higher price in the market.