Kohima, Dec 6 (NNN): The Nagaland Bio-Resource Mission flagged off its first consignment of Zanthoxylum (Michinga/Tomar) seeds to Dabur India Limited (North East Unit), Tezpur, Assam, at a ceremony held at the SIRD Office Complex in Kohima on Saturday.
The seeds will be transported from Kohima to Dabur’s North East Unit in Tezpur, marking a milestone in the commercialisation of Nagaland’s bio-resources.
Speaking at the event, Nagaland Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen remarked that, unlike many government initiatives, the programme is “a programme of substance where one can see something tangible and concrete.”
Imchen highlighted that Nagaland has tremendous potential in medicinal plants and herbs, and the Nagaland Bio-Resource Mission was formed to optimise and realise this economic value. Over the past decade, the mission has catalogued medicinal and aromatic plants across the state, which he said was a critical step towards commercialisation.
Commending the team for taking the initiative forward through the MoU signed with Dabur India under a buy-back arrangement, he noted that Zanthoxylum is widely grown and consumed across Nagaland, with both leaves and seeds used locally. Since the crop is already partially commercialised within the state, he said it has strong potential for scaled commercial trade.
Stressing the urgent need to increase production, Imchen stated that although Dabur had requested 10 tonnes, Nagaland could supply only 1.5 tonnes as the first consignment. Calling it “a lesson for all of us,” he said the state must produce in larger volumes to attract buyers. “Nagaland grows many crops, but we are not able to produce sufficient quantities for people from outside to come and buy from us,” he added.
The Chief Secretary encouraged entrepreneurs and progressive farmers to adopt scientific cultivation, ensure quality and produce sufficient quantities to meet market demands. He expressed appreciation to Dabur India for partnering with the mission and said he hoped the initiative would lead to “bigger things in the future,” including the commercialisation of other plants and herbs from Nagaland.
Narayanan Renganathan, head of the Central Procurement and Planning Division (CPPD) at Dabur India Limited, shared that Dabur is a 140-year-old company that began as an Ayurvedic enterprise and continues to depend heavily on medicinal herbs as its core resource.
“The company’s bread and butter are basically medicinal herbs,” he said, adding that Dabur has grown into one of India’s largest healthcare brands, mainly because of the contributions of farmers who have supplied medicinal herbs to us for the last 140 years.”
Banner image by Akil Mazumder: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-a-green-plant-1072824/
