Sentiyanger Imchen with others during flagging off of the first consignment of Zanthoxylum on December 6 in Kohima. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | December 6
Good news for Nagaland’s farmers of Nagaland as the first consignment of Zanthoxylum (Michinga/Tomar) seeds to Dabur India Limited (North East Unit), Tezpur was flagged off today from Kohima under the banner of Nagaland Bio-Resource Mission (NBRM).
This marked a milestone in the commercialization of Nagaland’s bio-resources products to outside Nagaland.
Flagging off the first consignment, Nagaland’s chief secretary Sentiyanger Imchen, maintained that Nagaland has tremendous potential in medicinal plants and herbs.
He informed that NBRM was formed to optimize and realize this economic value.
Over the past decade, the Mission has catalogued medicinal and aromatic plants across the state, which he said was a critical step towards commercialization.
Commending the team for taking the initiative forward through the MoU signed with Dabur India under a buy-back arrangement, he noted that Zanthoxylum is widely grown and consumed across Nagaland, with both leaves and seeds used locally.
Since the crop is already partially commercialised within the state, he said it has strong potential for scaled commercial trade.
Stressing the urgent need to increase production, Imchen stated that although Dabur had requested 10 tonnes, Nagaland could supply only 1.5 tonnes as the first consignment.
The state must produce in larger volumes to attract buyers, he said.
“Nagaland grows many crops, but we are not able to produce sufficient quantities for people from outside to come and buy from us,” he added.
Imchen encouraged entrepreneurs and progressive farmers to adopt scientific cultivation, ensure quality and produce sufficient quantities to meet market demands.
Thanking Dabur India for partnering with the NBRM, he hoped that the initiative would lead to “bigger things in the future,” including commercialisation of other plants and herbs from Nagaland.
He also urged farmers, entrepreneurs and NBRM to remain committed, ensure quality produce and continue taking progressive steps towards building a sustainable bio-resource economy for the state.
Dabur wants truck load Zanthoxylum seeds every month
Narayanan Renganathan, Vice President & Head of Procurement. Dabur India Limited, New Delhi said that Dabur has grown into one of India’s largest healthcare brands mainly because of the contributions of farmers who have supplied medicinal herbs to them for the last 140 years.
He said that Dabur Company has been providing quality planting materials, farmer training, and agricultural support to improve cultivation standards.
Citing an example, he said Dabur is already working closely with farmers in Arunachal Pradesh, where 10 metric tonnes of produce are being supplied to the company.
He expressed optimism that Nagaland, too, could scale up its volume.
“Today we are flagging off with one truck. Soon, I wish to see one truck leaving every month, followed by one truck every week,” he said.
He assured farmers that Dabur would support them with planting material, training, and marketing arrangements to help increase production.
He also pointed to opportunities in pineapple processing, noting that although the Northeast is famous for pineapple, “there is no major processing industry here, and so we are buying pineapple pulp from other places.”
He suggested that Dabur would be willing to partner in such initiatives if local supply and processing facilities can be developed.
‘Make Nagaland a leading hub of bio-resource-based entrepreneurship’
NBRM chairperson Awan Konyak said that the flagging off of the first consignment marks “an important milestone in our collective effort to promote sustainable utilization of our rich bio-resources, especially Zanthoxylum, which holds immense medicinal, culinary and commercial value.”
The transportation of these seeds from Kohima to Assam symbolizes a strong partnership between our local producers and a national-level industry, she said.
This collaboration will open new doors of opportunity for our farmers and entrepreneurs, strengthen supply chains and also empower rural communities through assured markets and better income, she said.
“We can make Nagaland a leading hub of bio-resource-based entrepreneurship,” she told the stakeholder conclave at SIRD Conference Hall, Kohima
She maintained that through partnerships, innovation, and collective responsibility, “we can turn natural wealth into sustainable livelihood opportunities while ensuring conservation for future generations.”
NBRM team leader Dr Kruolalie Tsúrho outlined the journey of NBRM, launched in 2007 to leverage Nagaland's rich biodiversity for sustainable livelihood, focusing on medicinal plants and bio-resources through identification, conservation, commercialization (like Zanthoxylum seeds for Dabur), and skill development, promoting economic growth while preserving traditional knowledge and the environment.
Dr Pankaj Prasad Raturi, Head Bio Resource Development, Dabur Research & Development Centre, Dabur India Limited also addressed the stakeholder conclave. (With inputs from DIPR)
