“The potential for medicinal plants is enormous in the State, and the State government has taken a number of measures to promote herbal and medicinal plants,” said State Forest Minister Dindigul C. Sreenivasan here on Tuesday. He inaugurated a one-day national-level workshop on ‘Current Trends and Prospects in Cultivation, Value Addition, Trade and Marketing of Medicinal Plants’ organised at the State Forest Research Institute in Kolapakkam in Kancheepuram district.
The workshop sponsored by National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) of Union Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy (AYUSH) was attended by medical practitioners, research scholars and forest department staff from other parts of the State. The workshop envisages farmers to acquire know-how on growing and marketing their produce of medicinal plants, according to organisers.
In his address, Mr. Sreenivasan said that there was enough evidence that the medicinal plants control various ailments and, with value addition, these medicinal herbs could serve as cosmetic items too. He added that ₹40 crore worth of herbal medicines were being exported from Tuticorin Port Trust, which showed the potential market for medicinal plants. The participants of these workshops and training programmes should envisage the farmers’ participation in growing, value-addition and marketing of these medicinal plants in their respective areas.
Minister for Rural Industries P. Benjamin said that the Forest Department was offering training programmes for people on the fringes of Reserved Forests in the State.
Environment and Forests Principal Secretary Mohd. Nasimuddin said research done at the centre should result in reaching out to farmers.
Kancheepuram MP Maragatham Kumaravel; Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Research and Education) R.K. Upadhyay; Head of Forest Department and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests H. Basavaraju; Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, P.C. Tyagi; Chief Conservator of Forests (Research) Mita Banerjee spoke.