A three-day workshop on ‘commercialisation of Patchouli’ (Pogostemon cablin) in NE region will be held at the Assam Administrative Staff College, Khanapara from April 9 to 11. The workshop is being organised by R&D Centre for Medicinal & Aromatic Plants, North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd and is co-sponsored by National Horticulture Board (Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India). The workshop will be organised on regional basis covering all the North-Eastern states.

The North-East, it may be noted, is bestowed with diverse agro-climatic zones, which have been recognised as hot spot mega biodiversity in the country. The region harbours innumerable valuable plant resources of economic importance besides providing situations to grow a wide variety of crops on commercial scale. This helps in introduction, acclimatisation, and cultivation of a number of aromatic plants with minimum effort. There are a few crops, which can be cultivated without distributing the existing flora and has the potential to establish as cash crops of this region.

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) has been identified as one such essential oil bearing aromatic plant with immense export potential. Realising this potential in the region and visualising the challenges ahead, NEDFi, the premier financial and development institution of the NE region has initiated an export-oriented Patchouli oil production programme as commercial venture through its R&D division in the region. The scheme is being implemented through organised contract farming under a long-term buy back guarantee from a US-based perfumery group.

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin of Lamiaceae family or mint family) oil has got a steady upward demand due to its versatile use. India’s annual requirement is 250-300 MT but it produces a very negligible quantity. Out of this, 100 MT is met by import and the shortfall is fulfilled by reconstituted (formulated) oil. Most of the flood free wastelands of the NE region have been proved to be suitable for its commercial cultivation. With a view to uplifting the economic status of the rural poor and also to establish some crops of industrial importance as cash crops, Patchouli has been chosen as the starting crop in the region. The concept of contract farming is absolutely new to this region.