NEDFi to assist make use of barren land in NE

Agartala, Mar 26: North Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi) has announced to provide assistance for scientific cultivation of wild trees or shrubs like Pachuli, Sugandhimantri and Citronella having medicinal value to boost rural economy in Northeast.

NEDFi Project Officer Arindam Choudhury said here today that a vast area of the region had remained untapped and only a small portion of barren land came under rubber cultivation, but NEDFi intended to assist the use of barren land for medicinal plants.

Mr Choudhury said, NEDFi had been selling sapling at Rs 60 each to outside agencies and there was a huge gap between demand and supply and bring equilibrium NEDFi had also been imparting training to the farmers periodically. "In case of 'Pachuli" tree, only six months after the plantation the leaves of the tree can be sold after plucking at an interval of four months and the leaf, after drying, is sold back to NEDFi," he underlined.

Besides, Pachuli, Sugandhimantri and Citronella NEDFi has been encouraging the cultivation of lemon grass, Valibar, Stevia and Alovera in the region, as the climate was found suitable for the cultivation, which has worldwide market of cosmetics.

UNI