Shedding light on the 100 percent utilization of bananas, Dr Arun Kumar Sarma, Director General of the North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), stated that India now possesses technology capable of converting banana fiber and whole stems into leather, commonly known as vegan leather. He made these remarks during the inauguration of the Ecostarch Bioplastic Manufacturing Unit in Changtonya Yimsen, Mokokchung.
According to Dr Sarma, the banana tree is not solely for its fruit, as India now possesses technology to produce fiber from its stem. From these fibers, yarn can be produced for clothing purposes. Additionally, he highlighted the abundance of antibacterial water in bananas, suggesting that this water can be extracted to produce liquid fertilizers, with potential for patenting on Saturday.
Furthermore, Dr Sarma mentioned the diversity of banana species in Northeast India, with Assam alone recording 43 species. Leveraging technologies such as the Solar Dehydrator Machine or freeze dryer machine, bananas can be transformed into powder. With the addition of almonds or other nuts, Nagaland has the potential to produce beverages similar to Horlicks or Bournvita, he said.
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Regarding tea gardens in Nagaland, Dr Sarma emphasized the popularity of tea due to the chemical catechin, known for its anticancerous and antioxidant properties. He noted that if catechin could be extracted from tea, its market value could reach Rs 3,500 per kilo, with the global catechin market estimated at 17 billion USD.
Dr Sarma urged Nagas to embrace innovation and take advantage of opportunities such as the PM-Devine scheme, utilizing the abundant resources available in the state.
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