Cultivate orchid, banana, medicinal & aromatic plants: Experts tell farmers

A CORRESPONDENT

PASIGHAT: The DBT-APSCS&T Centre of Excellence for Bio resources and Sustainable Development, Kimin organised a daylong farmer's interaction workshop on 'Popularization of medicinal and aromatic plants, orchids cultivation and banana-fibre extraction and processing' at the Horticulture and Forestry, Central Agricultural University (CHF-CAU) near here recently.

The programme aims to disseminate the technology to the farmers on cultivation practices and processing of medicinal and aromatic plants, orchids and also extraction and processing of banana fibre.

Addressing the farmers, Project Director of DBT-APSCS&T Dr. Debajit Mahanta highlighted the program and details of works being carried out by his centre in the field of medical and aromatic plants among others. He further said that such workshops will be conducted at Namsai and Kimin in the State later on.

Urging the farmers to start cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants, orchids and banana, Mahanta said, "The selected farmers will be later sent for various training programmes at respective research institutes especially at the ICAR-National Research Centre for Orchids in Sikkim, the CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and other research institutes across the country."

Pointing to the massive developments in the field of agriculture, Assistant Professor CHF-CAU, Dr Yengkhom Disco Singh said that the State has lots of opportunities for medicinal and aromatic plants, orchids and bananas.

He added that the cultivation of these crops can be a turning point for the farmers to generate income by tapping their fallow lands.

Meanwhile, Program Co-coordinator Dr N.G. Taibanganbi Chanu said that nowadays farmers can easily access the technologies through the Internet, adding that a hands-on training will enhance skill development among the farmers.

Earlier, the scientists from DBT-APSCS&T Centre of Excellence for Bio Resources and Sustainable Development dwelt on the cultivation of orchids, medicinal and aromatic plants as well as extraction and processing of banana fibre to the participants.

Around 15 farmers from the district attended the workshop where they had detailed interactions with the scientists. They also evinced interest in taking up cultivation of these crops.

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