Medicinal plants a golden source of livelihood, says Nagaland Agriculture Production Commissioner

Our Reporter

Dimapur, Jan. 16 (EMN): State Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC), R Binchilo Thong, said cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants is a golden opportunity to earn livelihood.

The APC addressing the inaugural function of the two-day awareness programme on ‘Medicinal and Aromatic Plants,’ under Promotion of MSMEs in North East Region and Sikkim Scheme, here at Tourist Lodge, on Monday.

Thong shared that 80% of the medicines in the world are made from medicinal and aromatic plants and only 20% of the drugs are manufactured synthetically.

 “It is a golden opportunity to cultivate medicinal and aromatic plants for livelihood,” he said and added that climatic condition and soils of the state are favourable for medicinal plants.

Thong said even in Nagaland, there are thousands of plant species which are medicinal and that since time immemorial Naga forefathers have been preparing traditional medicines from herbal and aromatic plants.

With development, trees are being cut down and forest cleared for building roads and houses, but one can start herbal gardens from home, he said.

The APC also asked the department concerned not to end the campaign with the workshop, but go and give first hand information to the farmers who will be cultivating medicinal herbs.

He further encourages the agri. and allied sectors and the stakeholders to formulate a series of integrated strategies in order to promote and develop indigenous medicines.

Deputy Director, MSME Testing Centre, Imphal , Yoirem Tomba Singh, in his address said giving government jobs to all the unemployed youths is not possible, but that there is prospect to create indirect jobs with medicinal and aromatic plants.

Stating that entrepreneurs can create their own jobs as well as become job providers, Singh assured that MSME is ready to assist aspiring entrepreneurs.

Team leader of NBRM, Nagaland, D Kruolalie Tsurho, also shared that Naga forefathers have been practicing traditional medicinal plants, and there are no side effects unlike the manufactured medicines

He also informed that a project, which has been approved by the central government, will soon be implemented in the state.

The programme is organised by MSME- Development and Facilitation Office, Nagaland, in association with Nagaland Bio Resource Mission, Dimapur, and MSME-Testing Centre, Imphal

The resource persons for the two-day workshop are team member of NBRM Atoka Zhimomi; S Yoirem Tomba Singh; Kruolalie Tsurho; joint director of MSME-DFO, Dimapur, Taliwati Longchar, and, assistant director, MSME-DFO Dimapur, A Selwin Samraj.