Centre launches 'Aroma bio-village' project

Close on the heels of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati unveiling the policy for opening the agriculture for the private sector, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre today launched the ambitious "Aroma Bio-village" project in two districts of the state.

Union minister of state for science and technology, Kapil Sibal, launched the pilot project prepared by the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) in Rae Bareli and Sultanpur, the constituencies represented by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul in the parliament.

Under this project, farmers will adopt the technology developed by the CIMAP to grow aromatic plants on waste land, particularly usar (alkaline) land.

On August 3, the UP government had launched a new agricultural infrastructure and investment policy opening the farm sector to the private players allowing the entry of retail chain stores in the sector.

Newly developed processing and warehousing facilities will be made available in these bio-villages for large-scale commercial cultivation of the aromatic plants.

CIMAP Director SPS Khanuja said bio-village programme will give special impetus to popularise medicinal and aromatic plants cultivation such that farmers are directly linked with industry through the technology provider with the aim to increase the production and ensure market opportunities and mitigating the unemployment problem in rural areas.

Essential oil bearing grasses of economic importance like lemongrass, palmarosa, vetiver will be taken up for stressed soils where as in well-irrigated areas mint and Indian basil will be integrated in the existing cropping system.

Khanuja said each bio-village will be self sustaining cluster having facilities from nursery rising to cultivation and post-harvest processing. Linkage with the industry of essential oils would be established to facilitate marketing of the produce of the farmers.