Boosting Medicinal Plant Farming: Govt & Industry Join Hands to Help Farmers

A recent Stakeholder Consultation in New Delhi focused on boosting India's medicinal plant sector through collaboration, regional clusters, and industry partnerships. Officials emphasized the need for policy support, dedicated markets, and financial incentives to empower farmers and foster sector growth.

Key discussions included:

• Mission-mode program for medicinal plant cultivation, identifying best practices and efficient techniques.
• Industry-farmer partnerships to ensure stable markets and fair pricing.
• Region-specific clusters for medicinal plants to streamline production and marketing.
• Expansion of AYUSH sector, which has grown eightfold in the past decade, highlighting export potential.

The consultation underscored the economic opportunities in medicinal plant cultivation, particularly in light of rising global demand for natural and holistic healthcare products.

In his opening remarks, Shri. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, highlighted that there is a scope to increase domestic production of medicinal plants as inter-state trade and export of medicinal plants. He highlighted the need for better convergence between Ministry of AYUSH and Agriculture departments and collaboration with State Medicinal Plant Boards, to promote medicinal plants at national level. He also mentioned that important medicinal plants have been included under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) scheme, DA&FW. He stressed that there is a need for a mission-mode program for medicinal plant cultivation, identifying good practices of cultivation, efficient techniques, etc., which will help in the upliftment of the sector.

Shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH highlighted that there is a huge possibility of growth in the sector. The AYUSH manufacturing sector has grown by 8 times in the last 10 years and has vast export potential. The sector has enormous economic opportunities, and especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for AYUSH products including medicinal plants has grown immensely.