SHILLONG: The Hill Farmers’ Union (HFU) urged Meghalaya Agriculture Minister, Banteidor Lyngdoh to keep side special scheme for promoting indigenous plants of the state and provide financial assistance for growing of medicinal plants.
Some of the indigenous plants are jatira, jamyrdoh (bishop’s weed), bat sohlah, ja ngew, soh mynken raja etc.,
The union urged the government to fix the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the agricultural produce even as they pointed out that agricultural activity had become unrewarding due to low productivity and unfavourable prices.
The union reiterated the demand to give recognition to broom-grass, long pepper and black pepper, bay leaf, betel nut and betel leaf.
At the same time, the union has urged the government to consider setting up of separate market for the organic produce.
However, the union asserted that there was no supply of organic fertilizer and requested the government to review the ban of chemical fertilizer.