Anthurium festival begins in Mizoram
Inaugurating the three-day festival, Horticulture Minister H Liansailova stated that besides increasing the inflow of tourists, this festival helped promote the Mizoram-grown Anthurium flowers outside Mizoram.
He said the fragrance of Mizoram's Anthurium has now been felt in as far as Japan and Dubai, besides several big metros in India.
'' This festival also serves the purpose of bringing togetherness among the different tribes in Mizoram and promote their culture and at the same time attract domestic and foreign states to the beauty of Mizoram, '' Liansailova said.
Saying many farmers in Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and Darjeeling had contributed a lot to their state economy through Anthurium cultivation, the minister highlighted that the Mizoram government had also taking all-out efforts to promote Anthurium cultivation among the farmers.
State Tourism Minister S Hiato, who also spoke at the festival inauguration, said the festival haD been funded by the ministry of tourism with an aim to promote tourism industry in Mizoram.
This was the third consecutive year that the festival haD been observed.
Underlining that Mizoram has a huge potential in eco-tourism, the Minister stressed the need for Mizos to show hospitality and Mizo ethics to make tourists feel at home in the state.
'' We have the potential to boost the state's economy through tourism. It is up to us to tap this potential, '' he urged.
Nearly 500 families in Mizoram are engaged in Anthurium cultivation with financial assistance from the horticulture department. With over 300 families growing the flower, Aizawl district top all other districts in Anthurium cultivation.
Horticulture officials said owing to the state's suitable geographical conditions, Mizoram's Anthurium flowers are of high quality and are in great demand in other states of India and even abroad, besides the local market.
Decorated and medicated Anthurium flowers have been exported in huge numbers to countries like Japan, UAE, European countries through an agency called Zo Anthurium Growers Society (ZAGS) working for marketing and others improvement of anthurium farmers in Mizoram.
Besides this festival, ZAGS had organised Anthurium exhibition-cum-sale in various places of the state to promote farmers and selling the flowers at reasonable prices to the public. (UNI -Posted on / )
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