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Haryana to train forest officers

Special Correspondent

Stress on plantation of medicinal plants

CHANDIGARH: The Central Government has selected Haryana for imparting training in plantation of medicinal plants to Indian Forests Services (IFS) officers of different States, Haryana Minister of State for Forests Kiran Choudhry said here on Tuesday.

Talking to media persons after presiding over a meeting of the State Medicinal Plants Board here, she said the training would be held at Pinjore in phases.

Emphasising the need to raise medicinal plants as an alternative to traditional agriculture, Ms. Choudhary said the Board had got 105 projects sanctioned from the National Medicinal Plants Board for raising the medicinal plants for contractual farming up to 2004-05. Also, about Rs. 3 crores was sanctioned for these projects whereas over Rs. 1 crore was released to the farmers as subsidy.

In 2005-06, a total of 90 projects with an outlay of about Rs 3.5 crores had been sanctioned and about Rs. 2 crores had been released as subsidy to the farmers for growing medicinal plants, she added.

According to her, promotional projects for medicinal plants were also being taken up and implemented through various departments and recognized non-government organisations. These would help the farmers in raising and understanding the agro-techniques of medicinal plants.

She said it would be her endeavour to develop herbal mandis in Haryana. The traders could be persuaded to purchase raw material from the farmers. "The farmers should be educated about the process of collection, harvesting and marketing of the herbal produce. Plants like Aloe Vera, Aswagandha and Guggal could even be grown in the dry areas of the State without much effort."

Mrs. Choudhry said the Haryana Forests Department had taken the lead in establishing herbal gardens in each district. These would not only help in conservation of the species but also serve as a gene pool for the medicinal plants base. When fully set up, these would also serve as major tourist spots, she added.

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