HARAOROU, Aug 17 - Manipur Governor Dr Najma Heptulla has stressed the need to cultivate cash crops with value-addition activities in a bid to realise the Prime Minister�s initiative to double farmers� income by 2022.
Dr Heptulla was speaking at the inaugural function of the facility for mass production of orchids and a farmers� hostel inside the Bioresources Park of the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), a national institute of the Department of Biotechnology, located at Hararou village,16 km north of Imphal in Imphal East district, on Thursday.
She lauded the IBSD�s initiative to promote high-value bioresources for the socio-economic development of the region and in creating a model of sustainable development at the Bioresources Park.
IBSD Director Prof Dinabandhu Sahoo said the hi-tech facility would provide lakhs of cut orchid flowers per annum, which would be a boon to farmers and unemployed youth of the entire North East. He said the IBSD has already set up 10 such units on farmers� fields and training has been imparted to over 750 unemployed youths and farmers. Given the high unemployment in the region, he said biotechnology-based enterprises is one of the best options for the socio-economic development of the North East region, as establishment of heavy industries will damage the environment.
Highlighting the activities of his institute in transforming the existing Bioresources Park, Prof Sahoo said that the park could be a hub for orchids in the near future considering the requirements of the population.
Prof Sahoo invited the people from all over the country to visit the National Bioresources Park, where state-of-the-art facilities have been created which include a commercial orchid production facility, aromatic plant cultivation and a 50-bed farmers� hostel.
In March this year, Prof Sahoo, accompanied by scientists of the institute, had inaugurated a fish hatchery complex, besides laying the foundation of a tissue culture facility inside the park.
