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Uploaded PhotoSUNJIASH SANGMA AND HIS ROLE IN RURAL LIVESTOCK SERVICE

In many rural areas, livestock plays an important role in supporting household incomes, often alongside small-scale farming. However, access to even basic services remains limited. There are not always trained individuals nearby who can carry out simple procedures or offer timely support when problems arise. While government departments do offer such services, the shortage of human resources and the remoteness of many villages make it difficult to reach every area.

To address this gap, the Meghalaya Livelihoods and Access to Markets Project (Megha-LAMP), supported by IFAD and implemented by the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA), has introduced a system of community-based Service Providers (SPs). These individuals are trained to offer practical support across both farm and non-farm sectors to help bridge the service gap in their own villages. For the communities, it means better access to help when needed. For the Service Providers themselves, it is also a way to earn an income while doing work that is useful and valued.

Today, more than 1,900 SPs have been trained by the project across multiple value chains, including ginger, banana, pineapple, black pepper, cashew, potato, off-season vegetables (OSV), and bay leaf. The initiative also covers non-farm sectors such as piggery, apiculture, weaving, and sericulture. These SPs are playing an important role in delivering essential extension services to farming and non-farm communities across Meghalaya. One of them is Sunjiash Sangma from Dilma Adap Village in North Garo Hills, member of the Tinsimina Integrated Village Cooperative Society Ltd. (IVCS), and Piggery Service Provider.

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