Renowned scientists, vice chancellors of various universities and senior Government officials congregated here on Sunday for a day-long workshop at Indira Gandhi Agriculture University (IGAU) which had been made ‘Centre of Excellence’ for medicinal, aromatic plants and non-timber forest produce.
Chairing the workshop on medicinal, aromatic plants and non-timber forest produce organised under the joint aegis of the State Agriculture Department, Forest Department and IGAU here , Governor Shekhar Dutt in his address said that the University is the ‘Centre of Excellence’ for entire country. The non-urban and non-industrial related products were mainly of agricultural nature , he said.Director General of Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary Agricultural Education and Research Department New Delhi Dr S Ayyappan, Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary and Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC) Ajay Singh, vice chancellors of various universities, State and Central Government officers and scientists were present at the workshop.
The Governor said that though medicinal, aromatic plants and non-timber forest produce look different, but they are not a different subject of research and development.The objective of the workshop is to develop bio-products together and for that, the University, Agriculture, Forest and Horticulture departments, research and educational institutions need to work as a team, the Governor said.
Director General of Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary Agricultural Education and Research Department New Delhi Dr S Ayyappan said that the workshop would be proved as a milestone.APC Ajay Singh said that there is a wide possibility of development of medicinal, aromatic plants and non-timber forest and for that progressive farmers and industrial sectors linked to it should be involved.At the outset, IGAU Vice Chancellor Dr SK Patil, while informing about the objective of the workshop said that in view of the research and development of medicinal, aromatic plants and non-timber forest taken up, the University has been made ‘Centre of Excellence.’
He said that the life of 14 lakh families of the State is based on the non-timber forest produce.In the workshop, scientists of 11 different areas made audio-video presentation on medicinal, aromatic plants and non-timber forest.