Min assures of all help to revive orange plantations in Darjeeling Hills

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 8 Sept 2023 | Darjeeling: Darjeeling, was once famous for its oranges. However, over the years owing to reasons, including frequent pest attacks, the yield has declined. 

All this is set to change with the horticulture department and the Directorate of Cinchona and other medicinal plants under the West Bengal Government all set to revive the lost treasure of the Hills. Minister Mohammad Ghulam Rabbani assured of this in Mungpoo on Friday. 

On his maiden visit to Mungpoo, West Bengal Horticulture Minister Rabbani, said: “We will extend all possible help to cinchona, medicinal plants. Special emphasis will be given to orange cultivation which is an important cash crop of this region.” 

A early step in this direction was the release of a book on the Geotagging of “elite” orange plants by the Minister. “1069 elite orange plants have been identified and have been geotagged. They have been identified from the farmers’ fields and also in the cinchona plantations. 

These plants are healthy, strong, disease-free, with good yield, producing good quality oranges and can be used as mother plants in case plants are required for large-scale re-plantation. 

They can be used for grafting, budding and even for tissue culture. The selected geotagged plants are monitored by us so that we can study the status, conduct tests over the years. The report of these 1069 plants has been published in the form of a book,” Dr. Samuel Rai, Director, Cinchona and Medicinal Plants said while talking to Millennium Post. 

The Mandarin orange is a major cash crop of the Darjeeling Hills. It is grown on approximately 930 hectares in the Darjeeling Hills with an annual production of 148.224 metric tons approximately. 

Flanked by GTA Chief Anit Thapa, the Minister also released a book in Nepali language on good practices of cultivation of oranges and inaugurated labs for tissue culture for cinchona and mushroom sperm production. 

Workers’ union representatives of the cinchona plantations also met the minister and apprised him on different issues and demands including promotions; revision of wages of the workers. The Minister spoke to the Labour department and the Hill Affairs Department. 

He assured to take up the issues with the Chief Minister and the concerned departments in Kolkata. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/min-assures-of-all-help-to-revive-orange-plantations-in-darjeeling-hills-532191