Arunachal's Siang district farmers mobilise to tap high-value medicinal plant market

A push to position Siang as a major centre for medicinal and aromatic plant cultivation took shape on November 17 as more than 100 farmers gathered for a regional awareness programme at Pangin Community Hall.

The event, organised by Koje Jangoo MAP Farmer Producer Company in partnership with Kirat Biotech Private Limited, focused on the commercial potential of Sugandhmantri, a high-value medicinal crop considered suitable for cluster farming and under-utilised land.

Experts, including retired Assam Agricultural University scientist Dr Iswar Chandra Barua, briefed farmers on scientific cultivation methods and stressed the crop’s economic promise. Dr Barua said Sugandhmantri could become a reliable income generator across the Northeast if supported with structured buyback agreements.

Kirat Biotech directors Pramila Choudhury and Manish Choudhury outlined plans to expand processing infrastructure in the region and emphasised that farmers would be central to future supply chains. They highlighted opportunities for diversified income and long-term employment through medicinal plant cultivation.

Koje Jangoo representatives called for collective action to strengthen market leverage. Member Tajing Darang urged farmers outside the organisation to join, saying coordinated production could help Siang emerge as a regional hub for medicinal crops.

Local progressive farmers shared ground-level insights. Koje Jangoo director Taying Taki described how group selling enabled farmers to fulfil bulk orders and demonstrated the role of a solar dryer—developed with Kirat Biotech technology—in improving product quality. Farmers Tagum Sitang and Tajir Siram discussed practical cultivation tips and urged growers to honour supply agreements to build buyer confidence.

Speakers concluded with a joint call to scale up cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants to drive rural growth and create a stable farm-based economy in Siang and surrounding districts.

Koje Jangoo MAP Farmer Producer Company, formed last year in Arunachal Pradesh, promotes sustainable cultivation of region-specific medicinal plants and supports farmers through technical guidance and assured market linkages. Kirat Biotech, based in Guwahati, works across the Northeast to develop value chains for high-value medicinal and aromatic crops.