This orange festival was organised by the Synjuk Development for Self Help Group in co-ordination with the Riti Academy of Visual Arts, under the aegis of the horticulture and tourism departments of the state government. In recent years the state has seen a decline in the cultivation of oranges. According to the farmers, orange trees are dying due to growing pest infection. Speaking to Eastern Panorama, B.C. Deka of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), urged the farmers to adopt scientific methods of cultivation. He suggests that before planting starts in the month of May – June; pits 60cm -75cm deep should be dug in the months of February – March in advance so that insects are exposed to the sun and are destroyed. B.C. Deka also points out that in order to increase production of oranges, the selection of a suitable site for cultivation is crucial, the area of production should have a gentle slope of about 1.5m to 2m and should be free from rocks.

The orange festival also laid emphasis on value addition of the fruit. Products made out of orange include orange juice, orange peel which is used by gardeners as a slug repellent, orange leaves which can be boiled to make a beverage. Jams can also be made out of the orange fruit. The peel of the orange is used in traditional Chinese medicine, and also to treat abdominal distention, enhance digestion, and to reduce phlegm.

The widely believed notion that the Nagpur orange is better than the oranges from Meghalaya is a myth. The only reason that the oranges of the North East do not reach mainland India is because these oranges are exported to Bangladesh and therefore there is a shortfall of supply in the domestic market. During the 2005-2006 season, the North East produced 278.30 thousand tons of orange which increased to 326.60 thousand tons in the year 2006-2007. The area of production too increased from 72.70 thousand hectares in 2005-2006 to 76.81 thousand hectares in 2006-2007.

During the festival, on display were the Khasi orange – ‘Khasi Mandarin’, from Wahkhen, the best in India which was certified by the Union Ministry of Horticulture along with the famous Sohra orange from Nongsteng and Mawphu.

The farmers also interacted with the scientists of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) where the growers were taught about pest control and sustainable and systemised orchard management like spacing of 4m – 5m between saplings and supply of sufficient manure to increase the productivity of the orchards.