Shillong, Nov 1 (PTI) 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. PTI JOP RG
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