The Hindu : Farmers told to follow prescribed practices

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 18, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Farmers told to follow prescribed practices

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI, MARCH 17 . Cultivation of medicinal plants offers a new vista to farmers, as it is an emerging industry whose potential is yet to be tapped. Farmers should take advantage of the increasing worldwide demand for medicinal plants by following the prescribed practices, farm science experts told a training programme held here on Tuesday.

India ranks second, after China, in the export of medicinal plants, netting in Rs. 550 crores a year. Over 37,500 tonnes of medicinal plants is being produced annually. While this could hardly meet the international demands growing at seven per cent a year, it is to be noted that even the local market potential is yet to be tapped, though the country has its own traditional medicinal system. Farmers should take note of the growing demand for indigenous medicines, raise medicinal plants, according to N. Ajjan, Head, Department of Agriculture and Rural Marketing, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore.

He was speaking at the programme, "Production and marketing of medicinal plants" organised by the Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute (ADAC&RI) here.

Dr. Ajjan said the failure to properly follow the practices, the absence of standardisation in processing, the lack of quality control mechanisms and modern technologies and a veil of secrecy surrounding the market information constrained the growth of trade in medicinal plants.

He suggested that contract system of farming be encouraged, market intelligence be shared among all concerned, non-governmental organisations/cooperatives be involved and exclusive markets for medicinal plants be set up, to give a fillip to the medicinal plants farming.

He cautioned farmers to know the antecedents of the person with whom they were entering into a contract, as there was no official guarantee for the contract.

The Dean, ADAC&RI, S. Anthoniraj, highlighted the importance of medicinal plants in daily life, as also the scope for medicinal plants cultivation in the region. He pointed out that some of the medicinal plants were more suited to problem soils.

Dr. Anthoniraj stressed the importance of marketing, and wanted farmers to be innovative enough to survive. He advised them not to go in for the same species, to avoid a glut in the market.

G. Ranganathan, Head, Department of Social Sciences and Languages, ADAC&RI, urged farmers to take advantage of the renewed interest being shown by the world market in the medicinal plants. T. Mohanakrishnan, a progressive farmer, who had raised a lot of medicinal plants, detailed his experience in cultivating medicinal plants.

An exhibition of medicinal plants was conducted as part of the programme that was funded by the National Medicinal Plants Board.

Similar training programmes have been held in Salem and Tirunelveli. The next one will be held in Madurai.

Over 125 farmers from Tiruchi, Karur, Perambalur, Namakkal, Salem and Thanjavur districts attended the programme.

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