Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Shot in the arm for herbal farming


Local health traditions could soon be making a comeback in Kerala, thanks to a government initiative to promote the cultivation of medicinal plants for primary health care.
The project, funded by the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), primarily involves training rural communities in conservation, propagation and utilisation of medicinal plants. Named Grameenam, it seeks to establish herbal gardens for the conservation of rare, endangered and threatened species and meet the demands of the herbal drug industry. The gardens are expected to help reduce the pressure caused by unsustainable extraction of plants from the wild and generate additional income for farmers.
Pilot project
The communities would also be trained in traditional home remedies for common ailments. Peringamala panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram district, Ayiroor in Pathanamthitta, Mattathur in Thrissur and Noolpuzha in Wayanad have been selected for the pilot project estimated to cost Rs.1.25 cr.
Grameenam is to be implemented by the State Medicinal Plants Board (SMPB) with the involvement of the department of AYUSH, grama panchayats, Forest Department, Kerala State Biodiversity Board, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Kerala Forest Research Institute and M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.
Inaugurating the scheme at a function held here on Tuesday, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar said Grameenam was designed to make Kerala self-sufficient in the supply of raw materials for the herbal drug industry and overcome lifestyle diseases.
A new project, Grameenam, will train rural communities in establishing medicinal plant gardens

Source : The Hindu

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