On August 12, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma laid the foundation stone for the Organic Spice Industrial Unit (Prime-Hub) in Bhoirymbong, Ri-Bhoi district. The unit, overseen by the Eastern Ri-Bhoi Organic Farmer Producer Company Ltd., is designed to enhance organic spice processing and value addition in the region, which specializes in ginger, turmeric, and black pepper.
The facility will serve as a multi-purpose center, with capabilities extending beyond ginger to other spices such as turmeric and black pepper, potentially becoming the largest of its kind in Northeast India. The Chief Minister emphasized the unit’s potential impact, noting that it will support thousands of local farmers. The government has allocated Rs. 15 crores for the project, with Rs. 12 crores in incentives and Rs. 2 to 3 crores as a loan component.
Sangma highlighted Ri Bhoi’s strategic importance as a transit point connecting the Northeast with the rest of the country.
Revistar Kharumnuid, CEO of Ri Bhoi Organic Farmer Producers Company Ltd., praised the project’s progress since its inception in 2017. He noted that the company began with a small facility but is now expanding to handle 18 metric tonnes of product per day. The new unit aims to enhance product quality, increase global market presence, and support over 4,500 farmers.
The project is supported by the Meghalaya Industrial Policy and the Unnati scheme. The company plans to process 4,700 metric tonnes annually, operate 264 days a year, and achieve revenue targets of Rs. 18.71 crore, Rs. 24.94 crore, and Rs. 27.68 crore over the next three years.