Unknown to most of Arunachal Pradesh, the Lower Dibang Valley district is emerging as the fruit bowl of the state with its farmers making optimum use of the centre's technology mission.

The state's horticulture department reaped the benifits of a favourable sub-tropical and temperate climate of the valley and the technology mission to produce a bountiful crop of orange, pear, jack fruit, banana, pineapple, peach, kiwi and plum in the last few years.

Particularly successful is the valley's orange cultivation which is spread over an area of approximately 2,000 hectares. The total production of oranges in the current financial year amounts to 800 metric tonnes, which in itself is a record in the region.

Dature Miuli is one of the farmers who have benefitted the most. Miuli today owns 13,500 orange plants while Thusi Pulu, another farmer, owns 3,000 plants and Miranda Miuli owns 3,000 plants.

They have all taken optimum advantage of the technology mission and literally turned the district into an orange bowl.

"The orange production in even a small garden every season gives good returns. Therefore, I have been gradually increasing my area of cultivation," Dature Miuli said.