Climate change tosses ecological system in NE
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 16 2011:
Due to the changing climate conditions, the ecological system has gone for a toss, the need of the hour is to conserve the fragile ecosystem and biodiversity of the potential underutilized crops.
This point was emphasized by many key speakers in the three-day national seminar cum workshop organised in Imphal by the ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Resource) Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Meghalaya which falls under the umbrella of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Dr KV Peter Renowned Horticulturist and Former Vice chancellor, Kerala Agricultural University and Director, World Noni Research Foundation, in his Speech said that, "There are many important horticultural and medicinal species which have originated in North Eastern region." An emphasis needs to be placed on protection and conservation of horticultural biodiversity of North Eastern Region, he added.
ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region conducted the national seminar cum workshop on developing the potential of underutilized horticulture crops of hill regions.
The workshop started on Monday was concluded today at Hotel Classic, Imphal.
The chief sponsors of the workshop are National Horticulture Board, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development and Horticulture Mission for North Eastern & Himalayan States (Mini Mission I) .
The workshop prominently focused on the issue of crop diversity is of paramount importance.
Present day agriculture is marked by monoculture which leads to erosion of crop variability throughout the world.
As a result farmers face increased risks, both bio-ecologic and economic, due to a combination of market forces and subsidies that leads inexorably away from rather than toward diversity.
Resource persons observed that the present food basket carries a limited number of crops, though there are potential crops, presently underutilized.
Underutilized horticultural crops form an integral part of health food green parks, neutraceutical industry, home decorations, renewable sources of green energy and above all food reserves during calamities.
Systematic discovery of their nutritional and medicinal values to our diets are yet to be exploited.
The cultivation of these crops will not only add to the food basket, but also enhance the income of the farmers as well as these species will also be saved from being eroded and getting extinct.
There is an urgent need to highlight the importance these crops, they added.
The Hill Region of the country especially the North Eastern India is a treasure trove of germplasm of underutilized and diverse crops, but its potentiality remains unexploited.
In this backdrop, the National Seminar cum Workshop on "Developing the Potential of Underutilized Horticultural Crops of Hill Regions" is an effort to bring all the stakeholders including farmers on one platform to thrash out various issues pertaining to underutilized horticultural crops as well as to popularize these crops amongst the poor and marginal farmers and entrepreneurs, organizers said.
The key speakers of the workshop are Dr AK.
Singh, Deputy Director General (NRM), ICAR, Dr N K Tyagi, Member, Agriculture Scientists Recruitment, Board, Dr KV Peter, Ex-Vice Chancellor, Kerala Agricultural University, Dr SP Ghosh, Ex- Deputy Director General (Horticulture), ICAR, Dr BP Bhatt, Director, ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna and Dr SV Ngachan, Director, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Meghalaya.
The National Seminar covered all aspects of Research, Development and Extension including Biodiversity Conservation; Crop Improvement & Biotechnology; Crop Production, Plant Protection and Natural Resource Management; Post Harvest Technology, Product Development and Quality Management; Marketing, Economics and Technology Dissemination of underutilized horticultural crops (Fruits, Vegetables, Spices, Plantations, Ornamentals, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Mushrooms etc.) of hill regions in India.
Comment
