Horticulture and Floriculture: State-wise Thrust Areas Among Others 12

Arunachal Pradesh

Thrust areas are identified as medicinal plants, floriculture, fish production and animal husbandry.

Medicinal Plants: There are more than 500 species of medicinal plants in Arunachal Pradesh. Most of these are in great demand by pharmaceutical companies, so priority should be given to producing these on a commercial scale.

Floriculture: The State offers great potential for the development of floriculture.

Recommended flowers are cymbidium, gladiolus, lilium, dendrobium, anthurium and foliage plants.

Fish Production: There has been a steady growth in fish production to 2,800 tons in 2005-06. Major problems faced in the production of fish are the incidence of floods, resource under-utilization and traditional and unscientific methods of production.

Animal Husbandry: This has great potential in a hill State like Arunachal Pradesh. The people of Arunachal consume high quantities of meat, a sizeable proportion of which is brought from outside the State. This conclusion is at variance with the dependency index for meat (see Table 4.3A, Annexure 4.1), but perhaps weightage to meat for Arunachal Pradesh needs to be increased.

Assam

It is the biggest State in the region in terms of population and extent of economic activities.

The thrust areas identified are:

Fish Production: The State has tremendous potential for fish production, which was as high as 1, 90,000 tons in 2004-05. Despite the steady growth in fish production, there is high dependency as shown by Dependency Index (see Table 4.3A, Annexure 4.1).

Tea: In the agricultural-based industries, tea occupies an important place in Assam with the tea industry contributing substantially to the economy. Both RSI and NSI (Table 4.7A and

12 Dependency index links with the recommendations of the L.C. Jain Committee Report and the Shukla Commission Report

4.8A, Annexure 4.1) show its greatest comparative advantage.

Manipur

Floriculture: A wide range of ornamental flowers are found in this part of the region, mainly gladiolus, lilies, chrysanthemum, roses, anthurium, gerbera and dahlia. Orchids also deserve special attention. The State can also promote the cultivation of cymbidium, paphiopedilum and dendrobium which are in great demand.

Animal Husbandry: Livestock rearing is one of the major income-generating activities in the rural areas of Manipur. Cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat and pigs are the main livestock in the State.

There is no Dependency Index data for Manipur.

Meghalaya

Floriculture: A variety of commercially important flowers are found in this area because of favourable climatic conditions. The main ones are orchids, bulbous plants, birds of paradise, chrysanthemum, gerbera, gladiolus, marigold and carnations.

Livestock and Fisheries: Meghalaya has witnessed a steady growth of milk, egg and meat production, and fish production is also significant in the State. Due to the high consumption of these products, several markets exist in the State, which is shown in the Dependency Index for meat, fish and eggs.

Mizoram

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: The steady growth of medicinal and aromatic plants in Mizoram is due mainly to agro-climatic conditions. Cultivation of these plants is more profitable than traditional agriculture because of tremendous demand in domestic and international markets.

Livestock and Fisheries: There is a wide demand for meat, fish, eggs and milk within the State because of the high consumption of these products. This is also indicated by the Dependency Index for meat, fish and eggs.

Nagaland

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants are found in abundance in the State due to favourable climatic conditions. Ginseng is the most valuable medicinal plant, commonly available in Nagaland, and has tremendous commercial potential for export. The most commonly used medicinal plant from which Citronella oil is produced, has a good market and is also used in making perfumes, mosquito repellents, ointments and sprays.

Floriculture: Abundantly available flowers in Nagaland are cymbidim tribe, dendrobium tribe, cattle and vanda. There is great scope for the expansion of floriculture for commercial purposes.

Sericulture: The geo-climatic conditions of the State are favourable for the rearing of silk worms such as Eri, Mulberry, Oak Tasar and Muga. There is wide scope for silk production in the State.

Tea: There is a wide scope for tea plantations in the State.

Livestock and Fishery: There is huge scope for rearing poultry, birds, ducks, pigs, goats and rabbits.

Sikkim

Floriculture: Sikkim is a paradise of flowers mainly gladioli, anthuriums, lilliums, primulas, rhododendrons and orchids.

Aquaculture: Sikkim is blessed with an extensive network of freshwater rivers, lakes and streams.

Livestock: It is primarily an agrarian economy and there is vast opportunity for rearing livestock for meat as well as milk products.

Tripura

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: The major medicinal plants grown in the State include roultia serpentine, withania somifera, chorophytum borinillianum and emblic myrobalans whereas the main aromatic plants are cymbopogan flexusosus, cymbopogan spp. and pogostemon cablin.

Floriculture: Various varieties of flowers such as marigold, tuberose, rose, gladioli and chrysanthemum are grown in the State.

Rubber: Rubber is cultivated in large quantities, and can be used in a variety of products such as coir foam, household, industrial gloves, latex adhesive, latex foam, latex thread, rubber bands, surgical gloves and toy balloons. The RSI and NSI show greatest comparative advantage in natural rubber for Tripura.

Tea: The fertile soil and agro-climatic conditions in Tripura are suitable for the development of tea plantations. The NSI supports the cultivation of tea in this part of the region.

Shri Neiphiu Rio, Chief Minister of Nagaland at a Tea garden in Nagaland

Assam Silk

Animal Husbandry: There is wide scope for dairy farming and goat and pig rearing in the State.