Conservation and Promotion of Medicinal Plants
The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) under the Ministry of AYUSH is implementing following schemes to encourage farming/cultivation, conservation, processing and promotion of medicinal plants throughout the country:
National AYUSH Mission (NAM)
The large scale farming/cultivation of medicinal plants is being supported under the ‘Medicinal Plants’ component of the National AYUSH Mission (NAM). The scheme provides support for:
- Cultivation of prioritized medicinal plants on farmer’s land.
- Establishment of nurseries for the supply of quality planting material.
- Post-harvest management.
- Primary processing, marketing infrastructure etc.
Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants
The central sector scheme Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants provides project-based support for following activities:
- In-situ conservation through the development of Medicinal Plants Conservation and Development Areas (MPCDAs).
- In-situ/Ex-situresource augmentation.
- Ex-situ conservation through the establishment of herbal gardens.
- Livelihood linkages with Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) / Panchayats / Van Panchayats / Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) / Self Help Groups (SHGs).
- IEC activities like Training / workshops / Seminars/ Conferences etc.
- Research & Development.
- Promotion of marketing and trade of medicinal plants produce.
Voluntary Certification Scheme for Medicinal Plants Produce
The scheme is aimed to encourage Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and Good Field Collection Practices (GFCPs) in medicinal plants and enhance the quality and safety of their produce.
As per information of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), an organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change estimated more than 8,000 species of medicinal plants are found in India.
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Month: Current Affairs - February, 2019