Value chain and constraints analysis of ginger in West Garo hills district of Meghalaya

Ginger is usually cultivated on hilly slopes or upland in jhum cultivation by the Garo tribe. The ginger growers follow the traditional dibbling method of cultivation. The planting materials are sown in the months of March and April. The crop takes around 8-9 months to reach its maturity stage. The study was conducted in six different villages with the objective of identifying the value chain in ginger, involving 60 respondents from the district. The study revealed that ginger soft rot or rhizome rot was a major problem for the farmers in the district. During the value chain analysis, it was observed that every year, the price of ginger fluctuated and middlemen earned a profit of Rs. 15-20/kg, wholesalers earned Rs. 5-10/kg, and small processing units, after adding value (ginger powder), earned a profit of Rs. 80-100/kg. However, due to a lack of well-established marketing facilities and value-added industries or facilities in the district, most of the product was exported to neighbouring states.