PASIGHAT, 22 Feb: A three-day national conference on ‘Medicinal & aromatic plants for rural prosperity: Strategic roadmap for medicinal & aromatic plant sector in Northeast India’ concluded here in East Siang district on Sunday.
The conference was organised by the College of Horticulture and Forestry (CHF) here, in association with Shillong (Meghalaya)-based North EasternCouncil, New Delhi-based National Medicinal Plant Board, the Itanagar-based regional office of the National Bank of Agriculture and Development, and New Delhi-based Society for Conservation and Resource Development for Medicinal Plants.
Addressing the participants during the inaugural session, Pasighat East MLA Tapi Darang highlighted the role of medicinal and aromatic plants in terms of enhancing rural prosperity in Northeast India.
The MLA also released the conference’s abstract book and other publications.
CHF Associate Professor Dr Arunkumar Ph presented a brief on the significance of the conference, while CHF Dean Prof Lobsang Wangchu also spoke during the inaugural session.
During the three days of the conference, technical sessions and panel discussions were organised,covering various aspects of medicinal and aromatic plants under six major thematic areas through the hybrid mode to fulfil the objective of the national conference.
More than 100 delegates, including scientists, academicians, students, extension personnel, entrepreneurs, and progressive farmers from across the region attended it.
On the concluding day of the conference, a stakeholder meet-cum-farmer-scientist interaction programme was also organised, with the view of bridging the gap between the scientific and farming communities, addressing real-world agricultural challenges, and exploring collaborative solutions, especially related to sustainable cultivation and marketing of medicinal and aromatic plants.
Pasighat-based APU Vice-Chancellor Prof NA Khan, former director of Gujarat-based DMAPR Dr Satyabrata Maiti, Prof Wangchu, and CoA Dean Prof Sanjay Swami, among others, were present at the valedictory function.
