New Delhi: In a decisive move to enhance the cultivation and commercialization of medicinal plants, a high-level stakeholder consultation was held at Krishi Bhawan, jointly chaired by the Secretaries of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) and the Ministry of AYUSH.
The meeting brought together senior officials from central ministries, state horticulture missions, research institutions like ICAR, the National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB), progressive farmers, and key private sector players.
The consultation aimed to chart a strategic roadmap to boost India’s medicinal plant sector, which has witnessed a significant surge in demand, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Focus on Coordination, Cultivation and Commerce
In his inaugural speech, Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary of DA&FW, underscored the potential for expanding domestic cultivation and inter-state trade of medicinal plants. He called for stronger integration between AYUSH and agricultural departments, and active collaboration with State Medicinal Plant Boards to scale the sector nationally.
He also noted that important medicinal plants are now included in the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and advocated for a mission-mode approach to identify best cultivation techniques and practices to support farmers and entrepreneurs in the industry.
AYUSH Sector Sees 8-Fold Growth
Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, highlighted the remarkable growth of the AYUSH manufacturing sector, which has expanded eightfold in the last decade. He stressed that the global demand for AYUSH products and medicinal plants has surged, opening massive economic and export opportunities.
Key Discussion Areas
The session explored several key strategic areas:
- Developing region-specific medicinal plant clusters to ensure optimal production.
- Building farmer-industry partnerships for secure procurement and full value chain development.
- Establishing dedicated mandis and marketing platforms to ensure better price realisation for farmers.
- Strengthening research, training, and extension services to build a robust knowledge ecosystem in the sector.
Stakeholders proposed identifying crop-specific regions for cluster development to focus on area expansion, productivity improvement, farmer training, and market access.
Policy and Financial Support Required for Medicinal Plants Cultivation
In the concluding remarks, Priya Ranjan, Joint Secretary (Horticulture), called for the identification of policy interventions and financial incentives to support farmers in adopting medicinal plant cultivation on a wider scale.
The consultation marks a major step towards realising India’s potential as a global hub for medicinal plants, with efforts now being directed toward institutional collaboration, market creation, and farmer empowerment.
