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| Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs): Prospects in J&K | | | Dr. Parveen Kumar, Dr. Anil Kumar | 10/3/2016 10:27:38 PM |
| India is blessed with a diverse flora and fauna. A variety of agro climatic conditions in India, varying from subtropical to tropical and alpine/mild temperate to cold arid zones combined with abundant rains and sunshine make it an ideal place for the luxuriant growth of flora. The country is endowed with incredible natural plant resources that have a great pharmaceutical value. Despite having only 2% of the land mass, it is blessed with 25% of the biodiversity of the world.
Over 7000 species of plants found in different ecosystems are said to be used for medicine in our country. The Indian pharmacopoeia records about 100 medicinal plants available in India and their preparations. Out of these, quite a few are also recorded in the pharmacopoeias of other countries of the world and there is a growing demand for them in the international market. About 1100 of the MAPs are used in Indian System of Medicines (ISM).A study was got conducted by the national medicinal plants board of department of Ayurveda Unani Sidha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) through the foundation for revitalization of local health tradition, Bangalore.
The report (2008) of the study put the total traded quantity of medicinal plants in the country at about 3.19 lakh metric tonnes for the year 2005-06. In all, 960 medicinal plants are traded; out of which 178 species have annual consumption of more than 100 metric tonnes.
The state of Jammu and Kashmir is also endowed with a wide range of useful plants.
The medicinal and aromatic plants constitute an important part of the flora. It contains a wide variety of trees, medicinal plants and herbs. The state is believed to have more than 5000 medicinal and aromatic plants. Of these about 4000 are found in the Kashmir valley.
Over 700 medicinal plants have been found to yield high quality chemicals and other ingredients used in life saving medicaments and aromatherapy and in cosmetics. Kashmir lavender is called the crown in the world of aroma.
The world's best aroma is produced in Gulmarg. The rose of Tangmarg (Rosa Domascena) is the one of the best rose of the world that is resistant to all diseases a plant commonly called as Soungul/pooes-tul (Taxus Baccata) produces some alkaloids that are used as anti-cancer drugs. Similarly another plant Vanwangan (Podophyllum Emodi) is found growing all over Kashmir from 6000-10000 m, especially in fir forests of Gulmarg and Gurez valley. The root of the plant yields Podophyllum resin, which is very popular in modern medicine.
The central government has also recently launched a scheme 'Jammu and Kashmir Arogya Gram Yojana' to convert the hilly areas of the country to exclusive zones of high value farm products. Under the scheme the farmers in the state are encouraged to cultivate scientifically tested and commercially beneficial aromatic and medicinal plants. The farmers will get help from the experts of government's Research and Development body the Central Council for Scientific Research (CSIR). It will provide them saplings of as many as nine varieties of medicinal and aromatic plants. The plant varieties selected for Jammu and Kashmir include five different varieties of lemon grass (Cymbopogon), Rose (Rosa), Mint (Mentha), Ashwagandha (Withaniasomnifera) and Phalsa plants. Initially 1000 villages from district Kathua, Jammu and Udhampur are covered with the scheme. Different institutions like Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Institute of Himalayan Bio-resources Technology (IHBT), National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and North Eastern Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) will be associated with the implementation of this scheme first in Jammu and Kashmir and then to other states. A no. of different species like Lemon grass (CKP-25, CPK-F2-38), Rosa grass RRL (J)CN-5, IIIM(J)CK-10, Mint RRL(J) ML-4, Phalsa (IIM(J)Shivalik Berry has been developed that can thrive well on different agro-climatic conditions of Jammu region.
Recently the Prime minister has released a scented variety (Geranium) of rose. The new rose variety Geranium has a huge demand both in the domestic as well as global market. The per kilogram of oil produced from the rose sell at a price of rupees 12,000 to 15,000.
The Prime Minister had an interaction with farmers. Subash Chander from Kishtwar district and Bharat Bhushan from Bhaderwah in Doda district both are growing aromatic plants provided to them by Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) Jammu for last five years.
This has improved their economy.
They now earn five to ten times more in comparison to traditional crops that they grow. Bharat Bhushan grows lavender, an aromatic plant which produces oil that is used in cosmetics and perfumes.
One kg of oil fetches rupees ten thousand and per Kanal of land gives 2 kg of oil. He has converted all the 20 Kanals of land in his possession for cultivation of aromatic plants. The farmer further informed the Prime Minister that the profit got by him after growing the aromatic plant was five times more than that of the traditional crops and that he has motivated eight more farmers of his area to grow lavender. Similarly another farmer from Kishtwar also informed PM that he too grows medicinal and aromatic plants in his apple orchard. He has grown 30,000 plants on his 20 Kanals of land through IIIM Jammu and motivated about 250 farmers to start growing these and that his income has increased 10 times after growing these plants.
As Union Minister Dr. Jatinder Singh who launched this scheme on October 18, 2014 said that this is a new concept whereby the agriculture land with the potential for growth of aromatic plants will be identified and CSIR scientists as well as aroma experts from different parts of the country will educate and train the local farmers to take up this cultivation. The farmers would be able to earn rupees 1 to 1.5 lakh per annum per hectare by planting medicinal and aromatic plants. The central government will initially spend rupees 25 crores on this scheme.
Their cultivation offers a low risk high value produce that can be used as an effective strategy for resilience in the wake of global rising temperatures. In addition, these crops can be grown on marginal lands, are drought hardy relatively free from cattle damage that can be raised profitably where cattle or wild animals stray is a major problem. They are suitable for incorporating into various systems of culture like intercropping, mixed cropping and multi tier cropping. Aromatherapy is gaining laurels the world over with in India. But more than 90 per cent of the MAPs used in trade continued to be sourced from wild and two-third are harvested by destructive methods.
As such it becomes necessary for the government to provide pre as well as post harvest infrastructure and necessary marketing support to the farmers who cultivate these plants.
The state of Jammu and Kashmir has all the potential to become a potential supplier of raw medicinal herbs and various medicinal and aromatic plants for the emerging national as well as global market.
By this the drugs worth millions of rupees that are imported every year to meet the national requirements can be met out.
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