The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) deputy director general (Research) Dr GS Goraya said that medicinal and aromatic plants are used in various facets of human life while also being of importance in the industrial sphere.
He was speaking at the start of a five-day training cum workshop on essential oils, perfumery and aromatherapy jointly organised by the Forest Research Institute and Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC) Kannauj on Monday.
Addressing the participants, Goraya stressed on paying due attention to the conservation and cultivation of indigenous plants and elicited focus on the need for developing a sustainable marketing mechanism so that cultivation and processing of aromatic plants could become more remunerative for farmers and entrepreneurs in the country.
Welcoming the gathering, the officiating director Jayshree Ardey Chauhan spoke of the value of fragrance materials in age old Indian customs and ancient civilization across the world. Appreciating the collective efforts of FRI Chemistry Division and FFDC for organising the training in the interest of aroma entrepreneurs, she emphasised its importance in catering to the needs of fragrance and flavour industry in India.
The FFDC extension officer Dr SK Srivastava spoke about the activities of FFDC and gave an account of the objectives of the technical sessions of the training. He informed the gathering that the course curriculum of the training has been designed to meet the expectations of diverse group of participants.
A total of 45 Indian and overseas participants including 19 from Republic of Rwanda and one from USA and others from different cornersof India are attending the programme.
The training cum workshop will continue till June 13 and will provide a detailed exposure towards fundamental and applied aspects of processing, quality assessment and therapeutic benefits of essential oils and their applications in perfumery and aromatherapy for advancements of scientific knowledge, skills and entrepreneurship of the participants through lectures and practical demonstrations by experts from aroma industry, scientists and practicing aroma therapists.