NE States being mega bio-diversity hot spot in the country are harbouring numbers of valuable MAPs including Agar, Taxus and Ginseng etc. The diversified agro-climatic and soil condition are favourable for cultivarion of numbers of valuable MAP in the region.

NEDFi has established a Research and Development Center for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants located at Khetri, Kamrup District, Assam.

The genesis of NEDFi’s R & D Centre began in 2001 with the aim of transforming nature’s bounty of medicinal and aromatic plants to wealth in the hands of the masses. NEDFi has undertaken a promotional scheme for commercialization of some medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) of economic importance. So far out of 16 prioritised MAPs, NEDFi identified Patchouli, Geranium and Vetivar for commercial farming.

More MAPs are at the centre to explore agro-technology and feasibility

Objectives:

•	To conduct survey on locally available MAPs and document them.
•	To identify species/varieties based on domestic as well as international market demand.
•	To develop production technology.
•	To identify crops that have market potential and suits our agro-climatic conditions.
•	To standardize their agro-techniques and promote commercial production.
•	To develop linkages between growers, industrialists for marketing.
•	To create awareness on commercial cultivation and extension among growers, processors.
•	To create awareness against unscientific forest base exploitation and encourage in-situ conservation.

Services offered:

•	Consultancy/Technical services for cultivation and processing.
•	Transfer of technology.
•	Testing and quality analysis of essential oils.
•	Offer guidance to growers and processors in value addition and marketing.
•	Impart training and organize seminars/workshops etc.
•	Demonstrations

Facilities available:

NEDFi’s MAP research station equiped with

•	Germ Plasm Bank
•	Propagation Facility
•	Trial and Demonstrations
•	Primary pilot processing plants
•	Quality Control Laboratory
•	Training Facility
•	Library
•	Competent Research Workers
•	Institutional Support
•	Herbal Garden - a live display of species having commercial potential with detail information
•	A modern nursery

Achievement in Last Three years

The farming of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants [MAPs] is a new and emerging sector for economic uplifement of rural masses in the region. Efforts are being made to develop a complete information center necessary for promotional activities of this venture.

Maps undertaken for commercial cultivation along with primary processing

States	MAPs	Area (acres)	Processing unit	Under NEDFi Finance
Assam	Patchouli Vetivar Citronella Lemongrass	75 25 500 150	13 1 15 16	3
Arunachal Pradesh	Patchculi Geranium Citronella Lemongrass	40 1 150 30	4 5 6 1	1
Nagaland	Patchouli Geranium	10 -	2 2	1
Meghalaya	Patchouli	5	1
	Lemongrass	30	1
Tripura	Patchouli Sugandhmantr Lemongrass	15 2 15	2
Sikkim	Patchouli	1
Manipur	Patchouli	2
	Lemongrass	60	1

Commercial Status of MAPs in NE States

Crops	Area (Acres)	Nos. of processing units
Patchouli	143	19
Geranium	1	7
Citronella	650	21
Lemongrass	295	9
Total	1089	56 nos.

Employment generation (Direct)

-Cultivation: 163350 Man-days/ year

-Primary Processing: = 22400 man-days annually

Future Thrust crops/areas of works

--Artemisia (Artemisia annua) an antimalaria drug plant

--Sugandhmantri (Homalomena aromatica)-an aromatic and shade loving plant indegeneous to this region

--Promotion of biofuel crops

--Micro-Propagation of selected MAPs

--Emphasis on effective transfer of Technology (Lab to land programme)

--Value Additions

--Emphasis on Organic Farming of MAPs

--More emphasis on multiple, inetr and multistoried cropping

--Conservation of indegeneous MAPs species

--Improvement of Primary Process Technology

--Product Development Technologies

&-- Marketing of MAP products

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