Dimapur, May 13 (MExN): To explore the possibilities of lac cultivation in Nagaland state, Dimapur based TOKA MPCS Ltd arranged a visit of Manoj Kumar, Ex Research Associate, Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums, Ranchi, Jharkhand to Nagaland.
A press release informed that Manoj visited Zukiye, Kuhoxu, Sahoi villages of Dimapur district on May 5 and Longpha village of Mokokchung district on May 7.
He observed that Flemingiasemialata is a natural vegetation of the State and that the bushy plant is one of the best host plants for rearing lac insect. “If lac is cultivated on these plants by adopting synthetic method of cultivation then it will bring a revolutionary change in economic term for the State,” Manoj said, according to the release.
Lac, he added, is a cash crop which fetches best remuneration among all cash crops and the international demand is likely to increase in the near future as the world community is again shifting towards natural resin after being encountered with deadly health hazard of synthetic resins.
After interaction with Lac Institute and observing that the commodity is a “very promising agricultural intervention” in Nagaland, TOKA MPCS Ltd in the last two years has established many plantations in about five hundred acres of land in the above mentioned areas, the release stated.
