Report on farm practices for medicinal plants soon

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JUNE 15. The Central Government will soon be coming out with a detailed plan of agri-practices available for medicinal plants and species, agencies working in this direction, production facilities, qualitative aspects, pharmacies list and export and import opportunities for the benefit of farmers.

Disclosing this at the inaugural function of a three-day training programme on medicinal and aromatic plants cultivation at the Swami Ramananda Tirtha Institute of Socio-Economic Research and National Integration here, Ms. Shailaja Chandra, Secretary, Indian Systems of Medicine and Family Welfare, on Friday, said the report would be ready for each State.

The effort to streamline cultivation of medicinal plants and ensure marketing tie-up through an agency was a result of the demand from farmers. There was tremendous potential for export of Indian alternative medicines to foreign countries and ensuring quality of the products was a major hurdle now.

She said the Government would soon standardise the products. Pharmacopoeia of Ayurveda, Unani and Homeo systems was being prepared and would soon be in the market. The Government was also preparing a survey report on the preferences of people in the country.

It had also commissioned two private agencies to conduct a study of market segmentation in the U.S.A. to ascertain Indian share. She said efforts were on to integrate Indian systems with allopathy within the country too. The Central Government had asked agriculture universities in the country to prepare a list of agri-techniques of 140 medicinal plants and the report on 30 plants was already submitted.

Laboratories for quality tests would also be established in the States. However, a buy-back arrangement was necessary to encourage farmers without which it would be difficult to grow the medicinal plants. At present, 27 medicinal plants had been identified as high demand products and information on 72 Ayurvedic drugs was compiled.

The Centre would soon give guidelines to farmers on agriculture practices, qualitative measures to be adopted and market strategies in this regard. While the world market for alternative systems was worth $62 billions, Indian share of it was only 0.5 per cent (Rs.450 crores), she said.

Earlier, Mr. K.V. Keshavulu, convener of the Institute, welcoming the gathering, sought assurances from the Centre on market tie- ups, supply of quality seeds and technical support to the farmers taking up medicinal plant cultivation. He said farmers in the State were facing hardship due to lack of marketing facilities.

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Section  : Southern States
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