The Hindu Business Line : `N-E emerging as floriculture hub'

Kolkata June 4 The Technology Mission on Integrated Development of Horticulture has resulted in 30 per cent increase in area to 1.15 hectares during the last six years. The Rs 229-crore technology mission was launched in 2001.

Addressing a seminar on "Business opportunities in horticulture sector in North-East", organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce here, Mr P.K. Mishra, Secretary, Union Ministry of Agriculture, said apart from north-eastern States, the coverage of the mission was now extended to Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

Deliberating on the rich horticultural and floriculture resources in the north-eastern States, Mr Mishra said the region held prospects for emerging as the floriculture hub of the country. "Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim have already made substantial progress in this regard," he added.

While there is tremendous interest in the region to produce high yielding crops and exotic vegetable varieties and flowers, lack of processing and marketing initiatives in the private sector was limiting the overall growth prospects, it is felt.

According to Union Horticulture Commissioner, Dr M.L. Chowdhary, the region produced best quality banana (Mizoran and Manipur), oranges (Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya), ginger (Sikkim), turmeric (Arunachal) and other such commodities having high demand in the global market

Absence of adequate processing facilities, it is felt, was coming in the way of optimal utilisation of resources.

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