National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of Ayush has provided financial assistance in project mode to various institutes/organizations to organise awareness programme, exposure visits and capacity building programmes (seminars / conferences / workshops etc.) through Information Education and Communication (IEC) activities under Central Sector Scheme (CSS) for conservation, development and sustainable management of medicinal plants. NMPB has supported126 no. of projects for various IEC activities to educate array of stakeholders including farmers about different aspects of medicinal plants like conservation, cultivation, Post-Harvest Management and marketing from the financial year 2017-18 to 2021-22 with the budget of Rs. 3079.116 lakh.
Under the aforesaid scheme, project based support is also provided to Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research (DMAPR), Anand, Gujarat for Development of Training Module and Facilitation Guide for Good Agriculture Practices and Good Collection Practices for Medicinal Plants. National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of Ayush has sanctioned Rs. 102.00 Lakh for the period of three year. Following are the major achievements of the project:
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- DMAPR has developed module on Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP), Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) & Good Collection Practices (GCP) of Medicinal Plants (bilingual)
- DMAPR has developed guide for trainers to train the farmers and collectors on GACP, GAP & GCP of Medicinal Plants (bilingual)
- DMAPR organized total 09 Training of Trainers (ToTs) for 163 Trainers.
- DMAPR organized training for total 605 farmers in which 502 farmers got trained within the state, 103 farmers got trained outside the state.
- Total 605 Farmers & Collectors got benefited by 163 trainers and they get knowledge through training module on GACP, GAP & GCP of Medicinal Plants.
Beside this, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), through its constituent laboratories namely CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow; CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu; CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI) Lucknow; and CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur is providing training to the farmers about Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Field Collection Practices (GFCP) for medicinal plants in order to promote the production and processing of herbs/medicinal plants.
CSIR-CIMAP is promoting medicinal and aromatic plants-based activities in different parts of country by doing special efforts towards development of improved agro technologies, high-yielding varieties and processing technologies of medicinal and aromatic plants. Special efforts are also being made for technology dissemination among farmers and entrepreneurs by conducting various awareness programmes and skill development programmes on production, primary processing and marketing aspects of medicinal and aromatic plants. During last three years and current year 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23, total 6 Kisan Melas have been organized in which about 17,000 farmers, entrepreneurs and industry representatives have participated. During the same period, total 48 number of 2 to 3 days skill-cum-technology up-gradation training programmes have been organized by the institute in various states of country in which total around 3004 farmers/entrepreneurs have been trained in good agricultural practices of economically important medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs). Apart from this, a total of 163 one-day out-reach awareness programmes have been conducted, in which 10791 farmers were trained in cultivation and processing of medicinal and aromatic plants.
CSIR-NBRI organizes various training and awareness programs to farmers & entrepreneurs on various aspects of Agriculture Science and technology including Skill Development Programmes (SDPs). Besides this, the institute also collaborates and executes Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Field Collection Practices (GFCP) for medicinal plants in various networking projects with other CSIR Laboratories, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC), Kannauj, Biotech Park, Lucknow State Horticulture Department, MSMEs. The target beneficiaries are farmers, village clusters, florists and nursery traders, entrepreneurs, schools and colleges, etc. A total number of 1046 persons including farmers were trained during the period of April 2020 to December 2022.
CSIR-IIIM is maintaining germplasm of various medicinal plants at its Research fields located in different agro-climatic areas of J&K UT. The Institute has been involved in certain training programs in managing Good Agricultural practices where several farmers have been benefitted. CSIR-IIIM has been distributing and handholding Department of AYUSH (J&K UT) in distribution of several varieties of medicinal plants for nursery raising, and also maintaining germplasm of several medicinal plants at Institute’s research stations.
CSIR-IHBT organizes various training and awareness programs to farmers & entrepreneurs on various aspects of Agriculture Science and technology including Skill Development Programmes (SDPs). Besides this, the institute also collaborates and executes Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Field Collection Practices (GFCP) for medicinal plants in various networking projects with other CSIR Laboratories. A total number of 2304 persons including farmers were trained during the period of July 2020 to September 2022 through 55 training training and awareness programs.
ICAR-Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research (ICAR-DMAPR), Anand, Gujarat under Horticultural Science Division of ICAR has taken following steps:
- Organized Scientist – farmer interface meetings, farmer’s mela, exhibitions, advisory services etc.
- Reached out to farming community through diverse ICT Platforms i.e Mobile Apps, Social media.
- Extension pamphlets in English, Hindi and other local languages, extension bulletins, Farmers advisory services, planting material availability.
- Directorate has Facebook page which are also utilized by many farmers for getting quick information about their queries regarding released varieties, planting material availability and pest and diseases of crops.
- The farmers are exposed to latest technologies through various training programmes, exhibitions, melas and exposure visits of farmers.
- Directorate actively conducts Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav, farmers FIRST, the flagship programme of the Government. This Directorate under the programme has adopted villages. The farmers are exposed to the latest technologies through this programme. Regular interactions are organised by team of scientists.
- Planting material of the latest varieties are also distributed by Directorate to the farmers on payment basis.
- Directorate provides regular guidance to farmers, traders during their visits/phone calls etc.
This information was given by Minister of Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
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