• About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Monday, March 1, 2021
Visit Mawphor
Highland Post
Govt. of Meghalaya
  • Home
  • Meghalaya
    • All
    • East Garo Hills
    • East Jaintia Hills
    • East Khasi Hills
    • North Garo Hills
    • Ri Bhoi
    • South Garo Hills
    • South West Garo Hills
    • South West Khasi Hills
    • Statewide
    • West Garo Hills
    • West Jaintia Hills
    • West Khasi Hills
    Sanbor felicitates crematorium staff

    Sanbor felicitates crematorium staff

    Garo Hills SSA teachers hold sit-in over pending salaries

    SSA teachers to go on strike in Garo Hills from today

    Peace Rally

    Peace Rally

    Umoid attack: KSU framed, made soft targets claims district president

    Umoid attack: KSU framed, made soft targets claims district president

    10-year-old becomes State’s first published author

    10-year-old becomes State’s first published author

    Garo Hills SSA keep up pressure on Govt for release of pending salaries

    Employee association rejects CM’s statement on fund crunch

    New Block of the Industrial Training Centre inaugurated in Tura

    New Block of the Industrial Training Centre inaugurated in Tura

    CM lays foundation stone to upgrade Rongram-Phulbari road

    CM lays foundation stone to upgrade Rongram-Phulbari road

    Dwar Ksuid bridge: RBSU expresses concern on slow pace of work

    Dwar Ksuid bridge: RBSU expresses concern on slow pace of work

    Trending Tags

    • North East
    • National
      COVID-19: India’s active cases cross 1.5-lakh mark again as infections surge in some states

      COVID-19: India’s active cases cross 1.5-lakh mark again as infections surge in some states

      FM says Centre, States need to work together to lower fuel prices

      FM says Centre, States need to work together to lower fuel prices

      ‘Aadhaar not mandatory for registration on Co-Win portal’

      ‘Aadhaar not mandatory for registration on Co-Win portal’

    • International
    • Health
    • Editorial
    • Musey Toons
    • Sports
    • Writer’s Column
    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • Meghalaya
      • All
      • East Garo Hills
      • East Jaintia Hills
      • East Khasi Hills
      • North Garo Hills
      • Ri Bhoi
      • South Garo Hills
      • South West Garo Hills
      • South West Khasi Hills
      • Statewide
      • West Garo Hills
      • West Jaintia Hills
      • West Khasi Hills
      Sanbor felicitates crematorium staff

      Sanbor felicitates crematorium staff

      Garo Hills SSA teachers hold sit-in over pending salaries

      SSA teachers to go on strike in Garo Hills from today

      Peace Rally

      Peace Rally

      Umoid attack: KSU framed, made soft targets claims district president

      Umoid attack: KSU framed, made soft targets claims district president

      10-year-old becomes State’s first published author

      10-year-old becomes State’s first published author

      Garo Hills SSA keep up pressure on Govt for release of pending salaries

      Employee association rejects CM’s statement on fund crunch

      New Block of the Industrial Training Centre inaugurated in Tura

      New Block of the Industrial Training Centre inaugurated in Tura

      CM lays foundation stone to upgrade Rongram-Phulbari road

      CM lays foundation stone to upgrade Rongram-Phulbari road

      Dwar Ksuid bridge: RBSU expresses concern on slow pace of work

      Dwar Ksuid bridge: RBSU expresses concern on slow pace of work

      Trending Tags

      • North East
      • National
        COVID-19: India’s active cases cross 1.5-lakh mark again as infections surge in some states

        COVID-19: India’s active cases cross 1.5-lakh mark again as infections surge in some states

        FM says Centre, States need to work together to lower fuel prices

        FM says Centre, States need to work together to lower fuel prices

        ‘Aadhaar not mandatory for registration on Co-Win portal’

        ‘Aadhaar not mandatory for registration on Co-Win portal’

      • International
      • Health
      • Editorial
      • Musey Toons
      • Sports
      • Writer’s Column
      No Result
      View All Result
      Highland Post
      No Result
      View All Result
      Home Meghalaya

      Essential oil business a ‘green’ replacement to destructive mining

      HP News Service by HP News Service
      November 19, 2020
      in Meghalaya
      0
      Essential oil business a ‘green’ replacement to destructive mining

      Besterly Marwein at his farm in Byrwa Village, Ri Bhoi district. Photo HP

      0
      SHARES
      65
      VIEWS

      From geranium oil that costs Rs 35,000 per litre and vetiver oil costing around Rs 24,000 per litre farmers and entrepreneurs in the plantation and distillation of these aromatic plants in the state are enjoying a better livelihood.

      Valued for their supposed health benefits and cosmetic uses, these oils, along with those of patchouli, citronella, lemongrass and palmarosa, are the focus of the creator of Fountain Green Joint Liability Group and founder of essential oil production unit Suhsieng, Besterly Marweiñ, who told Highland Post that since 2017 he has supplied around 2,000 litres of oil to companies outside Meghalaya extracted from aromatic herbs and plants he cultivates on his 20 acre farm in Byrwa, Ri-Bhoi.

      “We were able to extract about 500 litres of aromatic oil a year and to date it has been about 2,000 litres of medicinal and aromatic oils that we have supplied to various companies outside the state. From every distillation unit of oil, we earn about Rs 500-600 up to Rs 800 per day and if we do the distillation twice a day we get an income of about Rs 1,600 per day. Then we pack it and transport it to Guwahati and from there it’s supplied to different states,” he said.

      Before he got into this line of work, Marweiñ’s main source of livelihood was the mining of coal and limestone. He said, “The National Green Tribunal ban in 2014 led to the prohibition of the extraction of mineral resources like coal and limestone and I suffered a huge financial crunch. It was then that I, fortunately, met friends and experts from the Meghalaya Institute for Natural Resources (MINR) who introduced me to the concept of aroma greens plantation and led me into the business.”

      Beginning in 2015, he first planted citronella and lemongrass saplings on 5 acres.

      “I invested in a small distillation unit of 500 kilogramme capacity that would extract about 2.5 to 3 litres of essential oils per day. I then expanded from 5 acres to 10 acres and formed clusters with 12 neighbouring families to whom I supplied free saplings for cultivation over an area of 12 acres,” Marwein said.

      In 2016 he was provided with a bigger distillation unit by the MINR and other agencies, which also supported him with advanced training programmes and free saplings of other plants. Since then there has also been a boost to the industry following the launch of the Aroma Mission by the Meghalaya government in 2019.

      Besides giving him an alternative means of livelihood, Marwein also says that these plants can restore an environment that has been devastated by mining.

      In areas like Rymbai, where most of the soil has been ruined by coal mining and vegetables can no longer grow, these aromatic plants have now fixed the soil and made it fertile and people are now successfully growing vegetables in the barren lands.

      Stating that the vetiver plant also helps prevent soil erosion, floods and purifies water bodies, Marwein said, “Plants like patchouli, citronella, lemongrass and palmarosa also deter mosquitoes, snakes, leeches and even farm animals do not eat them. Once planted they need very little maintenance for another six to seven years while geraniums need to be shifted to greenhouses only during the winters.”

      HP News Service

      HP News Service

      An English daily newspaper from Shillong published by Readington Marwein, proprietor of Mawphor Khasi Daily Newspaper, who established the first Khasi daily in 1989.

      Related Posts

      Sanbor felicitates crematorium staff
      East Khasi Hills

      Sanbor felicitates crematorium staff

      March 1, 2021
      Garo Hills SSA teachers hold sit-in over pending salaries
      West Garo Hills

      SSA teachers to go on strike in Garo Hills from today

      March 1, 2021
      Peace Rally
      South West Khasi Hills

      Peace Rally

      February 28, 2021
      Umoid attack: KSU framed, made soft targets claims district president
      Meghalaya

      Umoid attack: KSU framed, made soft targets claims district president

      February 28, 2021
      10-year-old becomes State’s first published author
      Statewide

      10-year-old becomes State’s first published author

      February 28, 2021
      Garo Hills SSA keep up pressure on Govt for release of pending salaries
      Meghalaya

      Employee association rejects CM’s statement on fund crunch

      February 28, 2021
      Load More
      Next Post
      Ri-Bhoi overtakes East Khasi Hills as district with highest active Covid-19 cases

      Covid-19 recoveries surpass 10000; one more death recorded in Tura

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      We’re on Facebook

      Advertisement

      • Trending
      • Comments
      • Latest
      Pricey Covid tests contested in High Court

      High Court summons PWD Chief Engineer

      February 10, 2021
      Indefinite strike by commercial vehicles gains support

      Indefinite strike by commercial vehicles gains support

      February 2, 2021
      MBOSE to take a call on board exams as principals remain in the dark

      MBOSE to take a call on board exams as principals remain in the dark

      October 29, 2020
      Missing girl’s body found from jungle

      Missing girl’s body found from jungle

      December 17, 2020
      From crisis to capital

      From crisis to capital

      1
      Sanbor felicitates crematorium staff

      Sanbor felicitates crematorium staff

      0

      Weekly market not to reopen in Sutnga Elaka

      0

      Illegal sand, boulder mining along Umiam River banned

      0
      Sanbor felicitates crematorium staff

      Sanbor felicitates crematorium staff

      March 1, 2021
      Garo Hills SSA teachers hold sit-in over pending salaries

      SSA teachers to go on strike in Garo Hills from today

      March 1, 2021
      Peace Rally

      Peace Rally

      February 28, 2021
      Umoid attack: KSU framed, made soft targets claims district president

      Umoid attack: KSU framed, made soft targets claims district president

      February 28, 2021

      Recommended

      Sanbor felicitates crematorium staff

      Sanbor felicitates crematorium staff

      March 1, 2021
      Garo Hills SSA teachers hold sit-in over pending salaries

      SSA teachers to go on strike in Garo Hills from today

      March 1, 2021
      Peace Rally

      Peace Rally

      February 28, 2021
      Umoid attack: KSU framed, made soft targets claims district president

      Umoid attack: KSU framed, made soft targets claims district president

      February 28, 2021

      About Highland Post

      You’re visiting the official website of Highland Post, a leading and most circulated English daily of Meghalaya published by the Mawphor Group. Stay updated with our e-edition for latest updates from Meghalaya, North Eastern India and World as a whole.

      Registered office:
      Mavis Dunn Road, Mawkhar,
      Shillong-793001, Meghalaya
      Phone no: 0364-2545423
      Email: [email protected], [email protected]

      Like Us on Facebook

      Follow Us on Twitter

      Tweets by HP

      © 2021 Highland Post – All Rights Reserved.

      • About
      • Advertise
      • Privacy & Policy
      • Contact
      No Result
      View All Result
      • Home
      • Meghalaya
        • East Garo Hills
        • East Jaintia Hills
        • East Khasi Hills
        • North Garo Hills
        • Ri Bhoi
        • South Garo Hills
        • South West Garo Hills
        • South West Khasi Hills
        • Statewide
        • West Garo Hills
        • West Jaintia Hills
        • West Khasi Hills
      • North East
      • National
      • International
      • Health
      • Editorial
      • Musey Toons
      • Sports
      • Writer’s Column

      © 2021 Highland Post - All Rights Reserved.