SHILLONG:
The Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) in collaboration with Bio Resource Development Centre (BRDC) organised a programme, ‘Promoting women bio-entrepreneurship in orchid floriculture’ at Umsning Block, Ri-Bhoi district on October 3.
Speaking at the programme, Agriculture minister Ampareen Lyngdoh stated that there is tremendous demand for Dendrobium cut flower spikes of commercial standards both in the national and export market, Lyngdoh said locally, there is high demand for the flower especially during the peak wedding season, All Soul’s Day and other festivities. In order to meet the demand, florists have to procure the orchid from Thailand or South India.
She however said that the potential of raising commercial standard Dendrobium cut flowers in Meghalaya has not been tapped and this challenge has been taken up jointly by BRDC, Upper Shillong and IBSD, Meghalaya.
“The present project aims to capitalise on Dendrobium cut flower commercial production in Meghalaya, so that bio-resource entrepreneurship is developed and a booming Dendrobium cut flower cottage scale industry is established across the state for gainful employment of women and youth of the region,” she said while adding that this project is conceived on hub and spoke model and aims at end-to-end demonstrations of commercial cut flower Dendrobium production technology right at the village level on cluster-based approach for farmers of Ri Bhoi district.
She also dedicated the facilities established under BioNEST incubator to the beneficiaries under Umsning Block in Ri Bhoi. The minister also lauded the efforts of Sister Merly Tom Kizhakhayil for training students for orchid floriculture.
During the programme, Prof. Pulok Kumar Mukherjee, Director, IBSD addressed the gathering and highlighted on ‘bioeconomy from bioresources’ by synergising several research to enable the usage of the natural resources with all its perspective of the attributes of NER for locating the region in the new and emerging bioeconomy.
He mentioned that BioNEST incubator has been established by IBSD and BRDC for promoting women bio-entrepreneurship through orchids floriculture in Meghalaya with support from Biotechnology Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt of India.
Under this programme, more than 100 women entrepreneurs have been trained and encouraged for orchids cultivation and propagation. This project is implemented through a hub and spokes model at Umsning Block, Ri Bhoi.
Around 11 villages including Nongdiengngan, Nongmahir, Umshorshor, Mawser, Wahlakha, Umdiker, Umsaw, Sohdade, Sohjarang, Nongkseh and Mawparhut are being covered and targeted under this project.
At present the Hub (poly-house) of 1000 sqm and ten spokes (poly-houses) of 300 sqm each has been installed at the specified sites and provided with dendrobium orchids planting materials.
Director, IBSD also highlighted another collaborative program of IBSD & BRDC under “Himalayan Bioresource Mission” to document, evaluate and scientifically validate rich traditional knowledge of different ethnic communities of Meghalaya.
In line with the exploration of bioresources, IBSD has set up the Phytopharmaceutical mission programme. It is a viable platform for knowledge sharing, which requires scientific validation and ethno-entrepreneurship through the use of traditional medicine and value addition through different perspectives.
In this context, he urged the state government to set up the phytopharmaceutical mission programme for innovation leading to respect for our ‘parampara’, on the use of medicinal plants and bioresources to boost the bioeconomy of the region.