The Department of Agriculture was created in 1882 as the Department of Agriculture, Assam. However on attaining statehood it was bifurcated and renamed as the Department of Agriculture, Meghalaya. The Department of Agriculture, Meghalaya has been functioning as an integrated entity comprising the various spheres of development in Agriculture, Horticulture and Minor Irrigation. The mandate of the department is to bring about increased crop production and productivity. However, for effective administration in streamlining the developmental activities, the Directorate of Horticulture was created in 1995 and the Directorate of Irrigation in 2001.