HT Bureau
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GUWAHATI, July 7: Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma visited Byrwa village in Ri-Bhoi to interact with farmers engaged in aromatic plant cultivation under the flagship Aroma Mission initiative.
During his visit, the chief minister commended the farmers for their remarkable achievements in transforming aromatic plants into valuable products, including essential oils and natural repellents.
Expressing his support, chief minister Conrad K Sangma assured the farmers that the government would extend all possible assistance to upscale their enterprise. He applauded the efforts of the group at Byrwa, who shared their plans to create perfumes using the extracted oils.
At Byrwa village, Bestarly Marwein runs the startup Fountain Green JLG, which is actively promoting medicinal and aromatic essential oils in the state. The enterprise, in collaboration with women entrepreneurs, operates three essential oil distillation units to propagate various plants such as Citronella, Lemon Grass, Turmeric, Vetiver, Winter Green, Geranium, and more. Notably, all these plants are grown naturally in healthy soil without the usage of chemicals.
In addition to selling oils in bulk, Fountain Green JLG crafts fully natural essential oil soaps, mosquito repellents, mosquito repellent creams, mosquito repellent floor mops, and agarbatti. The startup has received support from PRIME, which provided mentoring, capacity building, funding, and product development assistance.
Chief minister Conrad K Sangma announced that the government would grant additional financial aid to purchase machinery, further enhancing the unit’s capabilities at Byrwa. This investment signifies the government’s commitment to ensuring value addition and tapping into the immense potential of aromatic plants.
The Meghalaya Aroma Mission, launched in 2019 as a flagship initiative by chief minister Conrad K Sangma, aims to harness the economic and environmental benefits of aromatic plant cultivation. Through this mission, the government is dedicated to supporting local farmers and entrepreneurs in the cultivation, processing, and value addition of aromatic plants.
