Centre Hosts Stakeholder Meet to Scale Up Medicinal Plant Farming

In his concluding remarks, Shri Priya Ranjan, Joint Secretary (Horticulture), DA&FW, highlighted the urgency of drafting supportive policies and financial incentives to attract farmers into medicinal plant cultivation.

A high-level Stakeholder Consultation co-chaired by Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), and Shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, was convened on Monday at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, to boost the cultivation, marketing, and utilization of medicinal plants across India. The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders from central and state governments, research institutions, progressive farmers, and private sector representatives, underlining the government’s vision to create a robust ecosystem around medicinal plants.

Strategic Convergence to Strengthen Medicinal Plant Ecosystem

In his opening remarks, Shri Devesh Chaturvedi emphasized the untapped potential of medicinal plant cultivation in India. With the increasing global and domestic demand, he highlighted that India has an opportunity to expand both inter-state trade and international export of medicinal herbs and botanicals. He called for greater coordination between the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Ministry of AYUSH, along with State Medicinal Plant Boards and State Horticulture Missions (SHMs), to synergize policy and implementation efforts.

He reiterated that many key medicinal plants have already been included under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), a flagship scheme of DA&FW. However, he advocated for a mission-mode approach specifically targeted at medicinal plant cultivation. This, he stated, would involve the identification and promotion of good agricultural practices (GAPs), development of efficient cultivation techniques, and strengthening supply chains from production to market access.

AYUSH Sector’s Soaring Growth and Export Promise

Shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, pointed out the tremendous economic and export potential of the medicinal plant sector, particularly in light of the growing popularity of AYUSH systems globally. He shared that the AYUSH manufacturing sector has seen an eight-fold growth in the past decade, driven by increased domestic demand and international acceptance, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic which renewed interest in natural and holistic healthcare products.

He emphasized that this growth must be matched by sustainable and scalable cultivation of raw materials, including medicinal plants. For this, industry-farmer partnerships, streamlined supply chains, and capacity building through research and training are essential.

Key Objectives and Stakeholder Recommendations

The consultation session focused on several strategic objectives designed to catalyze the development of the medicinal plant sector:

• Creation of region-specific clusters to promote the cultivation of medicinal plants based on agro-climatic suitability.

• Partnership models to link farmers with industry players, ensuring assured buy-back arrangements and a stable market.

• Establishment of dedicated mandis (marketplaces) and digital marketing platforms to enable farmers to receive fair and remunerative prices.

• Research and extension services to identify high-value crops, disseminate cultivation techniques, and enhance stakeholder capacity.

Stakeholders also emphasized the need to map crop-specific zones where large-scale cultivation of priority medicinal species could be encouraged. These zones could evolve into production clusters with integrated facilities for processing, quality testing, certification, and packaging.

Policy Support and Financial Incentives

In his concluding remarks, Shri Priya Ranjan, Joint Secretary (Horticulture), DA&FW, highlighted the urgency of drafting supportive policies and financial incentives to attract farmers into medicinal plant cultivation. He suggested the exploration of credit-linked subsidies, crop insurance models, and inclusion of medicinal plants under agri-export zones and e-NAM platforms.

The consultation ended on a collaborative note, with representatives from ICAR, National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB), Ministry of Food Processing Industries, State Medicinal Plant Boards, and progressive farmers agreeing to take forward the outcomes through region-wise planning and pilot initiatives.

The event marked a significant milestone in India's journey to become a global hub for medicinal plant production, reinforcing the country’s ancient knowledge systems with modern-day agricultural and economic frameworks.