HP: First pilot project for cinnamon cultivation

Shimla: In its first to grow high value herbs, HP has rolled out a pilot project for Cinnamon in state's Una district. The project is aimed to empower the farmers to cultivate herbs for the commercial use in the state's lower areas bordering Punjab. At present some species of Cinnamomum genus are naturally grown wild in forests. It thrives well as a forest tree at 300-350 meter.

First sapling of Cinnamomum Verum, which is also called sweet wood was successfully planted in Una by minister for agriculture and rural development Virender Kanwar last week. State's agriculture department has also been joined by the CSIR's institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur to make the state a hub for cultivation of spices in different districts depending on climatic conditions.

"This project was conceived by CSIR-IHBT and executed with ICAR's Indian Institute of Spice Research, Calicut, Kerala and Department of Agriculture, Himachal Pradesh" the minister said. A CSIR-IHBT team trained farmers on cinnamon cultivation and established a cinnamon demonstration plot in Una.

A target has been fixed to train around 1000 farmers in cinnamon cultivation in the lower elevations of the state by organising training camps/ farm visits in their respective areas commercially cultivated high yielding varieties like Navashree, Konkan Tej, Yercaud 1, and Nithyashree, known for delicate aroma and spicy flavour. It is principally employed in cookery as a condiment and flavouring material. Cinnamon is a versatile spice which can be added to any food item such as salads, confectionaries, beverages, soups, stews and sauces. Besides its culinary usage, it has important medicinal applications.

In the initial phase, as many as 600 to 700 plants of true dalchini have been planted and a target has been fixed to distribute 40,000- 50,000 plants of cinnamon verum every year free of cost to the farmers to propagate the cinnamon cultivation in the region, said Kanwar. A total around 200 hectare area will be brought under cinnamon cultivation in the state in next five years and on an average 40 hectare area will be brought under the cinnamon cultivation each year in the five districts.

This sun loving plant can be successfully grown in Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Kangra and Sirmour District having a hot and humid climate with moderate temperature and rainfall of 1,750-3,500 mm per annum. The harvesting starts from the 4th or 5th year

after planting.