Botanic garden to up production of herbal products 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Buoyed by the response for its host of organic products, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) here is gearing up to ramp up production.
A herbal mosquito repellant-cum-incense stick is the best selling product which has high demand from other states as well. Other products are herbal tea, health drink, hair oil and herbal soap. 

JNTBGRI director A G Pandurangan said the growing demand had inspired them to increase production and also to think of technology transfer.  “Increasing production is the immediate priority. In the long run, we want to opt for technology transfer to enable more people getting products at affordable costs,” he said.          
The production technologies are based on native knowledge tweaked with scientific interventions. They were developed by S Binu, senior scientist with the microbiology division of the institute.  

Manufacturing of two products, mosquito repellant-cum-incense stick and herbal soap, will be mechanised to increase production, Binu said. Machines have been purchased and will be installed shortly. The production units, one at Palode Junction near the institute and other at its extension centre at Puthenthope, are manned by women. 

“Two other important aspects of the project are generation of rural employment and women empowerment. Twenty women hailing from the remote Anappara village are employed at the Palode unit while Puthenthope unit has two staffers,” Binu said.

The institute is yet to set up a marketing network and the products are sold on its main campus and at exhibitions, seminars or other programmes in which the institute participates.“We get good response at events like exhibitions. Products like the mosquito repellant incense stick and herbal health drink get sold out in no time. We also get bulk purchase requests,” Binu said.