10 │ │ July 2019
events
M
eghalaya CM Conrad Sangma recently launched
the Aroma Mission, and inaugurated the
Processing Unit of Essential Oil at Byrwa in Ri Bhoi
District. Launching the mission, Sangma shared that
the Aroma Mission is an important initiative of the
State Government that will add value to the available
resources. Stating that the GDP is the benchmark of
economic growth of a nation or a State, it has become
all the more important for any government to think
about the overall development in all sectors so that the
economy moves in a realistic and sustainable manner.
Adding that agriculture and allied sectors plays an
important part in the economy, the government is
ensuring that this primary sector get its due returns
and farmers get the income and importance that they
deserve.
Products like broomsticks and bay leaves etc, will
henceforth be categorized as agro-forestry products
so that farmers can easily engage in the sale of these
products. Sangma said that the people of the State
have traditionally used medicinal and aromatic plants
available for various ailments and diseases, and it is
time that the knowledge is shared with the rest of
the world, while ensuring the indigenous knowledge
and skills are protected and patented. The CM also
urged institutions like CSIR-CIMAP to research and
document medicinal plants found in Meghalaya.
Additional Chief Secretary and Agriculture
Production Commissioner of Meghalaya, K N Kumar,
informed that the mission is exclusively for theAROMA Mission Launched in Meghalaya
development of aromatic and medicinal plants across
the State. He informed that Meghalaya has lots of
cultivable wastelands where plantations of this kind
can be encouraged. He added that lemongrass will be
grown in areas of 50 acres covering 5 hectares in every
district to meet the eventual target of 1000 hectares,
depending on the response of the farmers in the next
four to five years. He also shared that the mission of
`18 crores is an end-to-end mission and plantations
will be enhanced only when buyers are assured.
The Chief Minister also released the Aroma
Mission document and inaugurated the Distillation
Unit during the occasion.