Shillong, May 31, 2026 : In a landmark step towards strengthening Meghalaya’s fisheries, livestock, cold chain and rural enterprise ecosystem, the Maiden Cold Storage Facility for Fish & Livestock was inaugurated on Friday at Mawblei, Shillong. The facility, with a combined 45 Metric Tone (MT) of chiller and freezer capacity, marks a major milestone in creating a structured supply chain network for fish and livestock products across the State.

The initiative is being spearheaded by the North East Development Initiative (NEDI), under the aegis of ABK Media India Pvt Ltd, with M/S J Mawkhiew Enterprises playing a key role as the C&F partner for Meghalaya. Together, the partnership aims to build a strong foundation for procurement, storage, distribution, retail access and entrepreneurship-led growth across districts.

A major highlight of the inauguration ceremony was the signing of a 5 year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Fisheries Department, Government of Meghalaya, reaffirming institutional support and collaborative commitment towards building a sustainable fisheries and livestock infrastructure ecosystem in the state.

The cold storage facility was formally inaugurated in the esteemed presence of distinguished dignitaries including Shri David Khanwanlang, Deputy Director, Fisheries Department; Shri E.K. Laloo, Assistant Director, Fisheries Department; Dr. A. Chyne, Director, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Department; Dr. Hari Prasad Paul, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Department; and Ms. Jenny Mawkhiew, Proprietor of J. Mawkhiew Enterprises and C&F Partner for NEDI Meghalaya.

The newly inaugurated facility is envisioned not just as a storage unit, but as the starting point of a larger movement to create a major fish and livestock supply chain for a brand made by Meghalaya, in Meghalaya, for the rest of the world.

Speaking on the vision behind the initiative, the organizing team emphasized that this project has been built with the objective of connecting every layer of the value chain from C&F partners to distributors, sub-distributors, retailers, farmers, fisheries stakeholders and livestock entrepreneurs.

Somjit Dutta, Founder Member, NEDI, said, “The inauguration of this cold storage facility is not merely the beginning of a business collaboration; it is the coming together of the people of Meghalaya to build a shared ecosystem for growth and prosperity. Our vision extends beyond creating a cold storage chain we are laying the foundation for a comprehensive ecosystem focused on capacity building, entrepreneurship development, youth engagement and community participation. Through this initiative, we aspire to position Meghalaya as a leading fisheries and livestock hub for the country, creating sustainable livelihoods, strengthening local value chains and empowering future generations to become active contributors to the state’s economic development.”

The event witnessed the presence of dignitaries, stakeholders, industry representatives and 12 distributors from across Meghalaya. Additionally, nearly 30–35 sub-distributors are expected to join the expanding network, significantly strengthening district-level distribution, local market connectivity and last-mile reach.

The facility is expected to play a crucial role in enhancing storage capacity, minimizing post-harvest losses, maintaining product quality, improving distribution efficiency and supporting local communities engaged in fisheries, livestock and allied sectors.

Looking ahead, the vision is to establish Meghalaya’s maiden processing unit for fish and livestock products, creating a complete ecosystem from storage to processing, branding, packaging and distribution.