Cultivating the Curing

Interest on medicinal plants has grown tremendously as a re-emerging health aid and it is evident in the rising number of prescription of drugs in the maintenance of personal health and well being. Apart from the continuous requirement of medicinal plants in traditional systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Amchi,interest is also growing to the development of neutraceuticals and cosmetic industries, which attained world attention. It is estimated that annual turn over of cosmetic and flavour industry exceeds 3,00,000 crore comprising more than hundred essential oils world over. In recent years herbal industry has been one of the major driving forces in the global economy. It is estimated that the global trade in medicinal plants is US $ 800 million per year. The recent study on “Future of Herbal Export “conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) stated that the export of herbal products and medicines had the potential to reach Rs 120 billion by 2012 from the current Rs 30 billion with the creation of exclusive Export Promotion Zones (EPZ) across India. The export of medicinal plants from India have registered around 20 per cent growth in the last financial year and the country is the second largest exporter of herbal plants after China in the global arena, nearly doubling the volume in the last five years. According to official source, the total value of medicinal plants export from the country was Rs. 594.77 crore during the year of 2008-09, making a growth of 19.3 per cent over the previous year. As per the provisional data available currently, the country’s share in the export of medicinal plants and herbs in the global market during the current financial year is Rs 685.14 crore. About 1400 herbal preparations are used widely in India, according to a recent study. Kerala is one of the leading states in the promotion of herbal industry. In Kerala, it is estimated that annual sale of Ayurvedic medicines accounts about Rs.150 crore. Apart from the ageold practices of Ayurvedic systems in its purest form, the State holds a prominent position in the herbal tourism, which is a dwelling activity at present for remarkable earning source and generates employment potential. The ample and continuous availability of the genuine raw material is a major factor in the development and existence of ayurvedic industry. The manufacture of garments with medicinal plants ‘Ayurvasthra’ is yet another recently added bead in the herbal industry. It is estimated that ayurvedic industry in Kerala has used at least Rs 75-80 crore worth of medicinal plants and herbs as raw materials annually.	Kerala experiences the humid tropic climate suitable to flourish many medicinal plants useful for the domestic herbal industry and high value low volume compounds in the modern system of medicine. It is revealed that, about 60-65 per cent of plants used in the Ayurvedic medicine and 80 per cent of the plants used in Siddha medicine are found in the forest of Kerala. The tropical medicinal plants inhabiting in Kerala cannot be found elsewhere in the world. There is urgent need to protect the herbal wealth in our forests and provide the genuine raw material for the quality drug preparation in the rapidly growing herbal industry the State for which cultivation of medicinal plant is highly needed. Since the State has less land area and high land value, the medicinal plants can be recommended to cultivate as intercrop in plantations and forests through tribals. It would be worthwhile to encourage homestead cultivation and along with food and other commercial crops in Kerala. Rural women have an active role and extensive involvement in the development of our society and the Nation. In Kerala, the Self Help Groups and Kudumbasree units are well established in many small scale income generation activities using natural and synthetic resources compared to other states in India. Medicinal plant cultivation can be treated as an alternative income generation source for the rural unemployed women without hampering their ongoing income generating activities. Compared to other crops, medicinal plant cultivation requires less attention and expenditure. In order to promote medicinal plant cultivation and women empowerment in the State, Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Palode, Thiruvananthapuram has implemented a model Project on “Women Empowerment and Medicinal Plant Cultivation” at Kanjikuzhi Grama Panchayat, Alapuzha with the co-operation of the Panchayath. Activities Keeping the major objectives to promote homestead cultivation and income generation for the rural women without hampering their ongoing domestic and other income generating activities, it is selected 200 women beneficiaries from different wards by conducting a local awareness programme on medicinal plant cultivation with the help of Kanjikuzhi Grama Panchayat Standing Committee. The selected beneficiaries were grouped with ten members who were residing closely. A leader beneficiary was selected from each group and special instructions and guidelines were given to co-ordinate the group activities. Training on medicinal plant cultivation was imparted to the beneficiaries with study materials. The highly demanded medicinal plants in Ayurvedic industries in Kerala and suitable for the agro climatic condition of Alappuzha district were selected for the cultivation purpose. Industrially highly demanded medicinal plants selected for the cultivation were Plumbago rosea (Chuvanna koduveli), Holostemma annulare (Adapathiyan), Aloe Vera (Kattarvazha), Indigofera tinctoria (Neela amari), Vetiveria zizanioides (Ramacham), Alpinia calcarata (Chittaratha) Kampferia galangal (Kacholam), Asparagus recemosus (Sathavari) etc.	The evaluation indicated that more than 80 per cent of the beneficiaries were actively involved in the programme. They expanded the cultivation area by raising the seedlings and propagules followed by the training obtained. Most of the beneficiaries earned partial income by selling the raw materials and seedlings of the target plants. Establishment of Medicinal Plant Nursery Establishment of a scientifically organised nursery for medicinal plant cultivation was one of the major objectives to sustain the programme after completion of the Project. The target medicinal plants of the project was propagated in the nursery and raised in separate beds to demonstrate model cultivation field. In addition, other live collection of 25 uncommon medicinal plants to the public was also exhibited in the nursery. With the successful completion of the Project, as per Agreement placed before the funding agencies, the nursery and other assets were handed over to the Kanjikuzhi Grama Panchayat followed by inauguration by Dr. T. M. Thomas Isaac, Minister for Finance, on 27th December 2009. Outcome The project is a model one to promote medicinal plant cultivation in the State. Implementation of this project created a general awareness on medicinal plant cultivation and promoted homestead cultivation in the Kanjikuzhi Grama Panchayath for unemployed women. They were benefited to generate partial income through this programme. With the effective functioning of the Co-operative Society formed, as part of this project, will be highly beneficial to promote medicinal plant cultivation by adopting various strategies and establishing viable marketing linkages for the medicinal plant trade in the State. With the appropriate development and stream lining of policies, in future, the Society can enter into National and International marketing of raw materials, herbal based value added products, cosmetics and neutraceuticals etc. It can check the existing exploitation of raw material by mediators in the burgeoning medicinal plant trade apart from supplying genuine raw material for production of quality herbal drugs. The nursery established for the medicinal plant cultivation in this project can be maintained as a centre for the production of genuine planting materials.
Article written by :- Dr C.G.Sudha, Scientist & Principal Investigator of the Project Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Division, Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Palode, Thiruvananthapuram