The North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) has chosen Umiam in Ri-Bhoi district to cultivate saffron.
According to Dr. Arun Kumar Sarma, Director General NECTAR said NECTAR is trying to cultivate saffron in northeast, after Kashmir.
Saffron production has long been restricted to a limited geographical area in the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Pampore region, commonly known as Saffron bowl of Kashmir, is the main contributor to saffron production, followed by Budgam, Srinagar, and Kishtwar districts.
“We are also making fruit atlas for Meghalaya in collaboration with horticulture department. We are closely connected with government of Meghalaya,” the Director General NECTAR said.
According to Dr. Sarma, NECTAR have been working in all sectors to generate livelihood, to reach the society with technology intervention in agriculture sector, food processing sector, textile and fibre, poultry, IT and communication and geo spatial applications amongst other fields.
He also said that the centre is open for the overall development of the region particularly the rural part of the northeast.
“We need to make a bridge between the innovation technology and societal development. That’s the main vision. We are giving more importance to the indigenous technology,” Dr. Sarma added.
According to the Director General, NECTAR the centre is a bridge between the innovation technology which is developed in the lab and the users who are farmers, NGOs, SHGs or the state govt departments.
“Whatever technology developed we are supposed to take those to the society. We have to find out where the technologies are and what kind of technology that would be useful for some particular use. That is our job. We are giving the technical knowhow of that particular technology to develop the society,” he added.
