Agriculture College eyes local herbs for benefits of locals



GANGTOK, August 17: Lemongrass and Java Citronella, found in abundance in the hills, are set to become the harbingers of economic prosperity for the North Eastern States, particularly Sikkim while contributing to environmental protection as well.

The aromatic oil extracted from the two herbs may fetch handsome financial dividends to the farmers. Besides, they also have an immense potential of conserving the water and the soil.

The College of Agricultural Engineering and Post Harvest Technology at Ranipool is actively involved in ensuring value addition to scented and aromatic plants of the North Eastern States including Sikkim under the National Agricultural Innovation Project. The Rs. 4 crores project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research also covers the herbs like Patchouli and scented Orchids.

The Vice-Chancellor of the Central Agriculture University Imphal, to which the College is affiliated, Dr SN Puri said to media yesterday that the college has tied up with the farmers around the campus for growing Lemon grass and Java Citronella in about two acres of their extra land. He said that an oil extractor having a capacity of producing four litres of oil from four quintals of Lemon grass or Java Citronella worth around Rs. 1600 in an hour has been installed at the College for the convenience of these farmers.

Dr. Puri added that these oils have a great demand in the cosmetic industry and the Citrola oil, a produce of the secondary processing of the Java Citronella, is sold at even higher price in the market. The by-products of the two herbs too are widely used for manufacturing incense sticks, he said.

The Central Agriculture University Vice Chancellor informed that as the partners of the project, the ICAR Tadong is working on Patchouli while the National Centre for Orchids Research, Pakyong is working on scented orchids. He said that the College of Agricultural Engineering and Post Harvest Technology will provide its processing and marketing support to the farmers growing these herbs free of cost for a period of two years as to make them self-reliant.

Dr. Puri said that given the soil-conservation properties of both Lemon Grass and Java Citronella, the college will be happy to grow them in some land-slide or sinking zones in the State on an experimental basis, provided the State government agrees to it.

source;sikkim express