Lok Sabha Question No. 250 (STARRED), answered on 2023-03-17
Subject: Promotion of Medicinal Plants
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: K. Shanmuga Sundaram, Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH)

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 250 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 17  TH  MARCH, 2023

## PROMOTION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS

## *250. SHRI SHANMUGA SUNDARAM K.: SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  any  schemes  to  promote  the  cultivation  of medicinal plants in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  has  any  special  schemes  for  the  cultivation  of medicinal  plants  in  Western  Ghats  region  like  Pollachi  which  are  home  to  a number of traditional plants and offer favourable conditions for the cultivation of medicinal plants and in Katni, Chhatarpur and Panna districts of Madhya Pradesh;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d)  whether  the  slow  growth  in  the  field  of  Ayurveda  in  the  country  is  due  to geographical,  climatic  and  local  agricultural  practices  and  the  medicinal  plants being cultivated; and
- (e) if so, the steps taken by the Government to promote the cultivation/plantation of  medicinal  plants  in  accordance  with  the  climatic  conditions  prevailing  in different parts of the country to increase production, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY(AYUSH)

(SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 250* FOR 17 TH  MARCH, 2023

(a) No, Sir. However, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India had implemented Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Ayush Mission (NAM) to promote  the  cultivation  of  medicinal  plants  from  the  financial  year  2015-16  to 2020-21. As per the scheme guidelines, the support was provided for:

- (i) Cultivation of prioritized medicinal plants on farmer's land.
- (ii) Establishment of nurseries with backward linkages for raising and supply of quality planting material.
- (iii) Post-harvest management with forwarding linkages.
- (iv) Primary processing, marketing infrastructure etc.

Till  date,  Ministry  of  Ayush  had  supported  56,305  hectare  area,  220 nurseries,  354  post-harvest  management  units,  25  Processing  Units,  42  Rural  / District Collection  Centres  /  Retail  outlet,  10  Seed  germplasm  centres,  15 Demonstration plots, 235 workshops / buyer-seller meets / exposure visits under Information,  Education  &  Communication  activities  and  training  for  19061 farmers etc. under medicinal plants component of National Ayush Mission (NAM) from  the  financial  year  2015-16  to  2020-21.  The  details  of  activities  supported under National Ayush Mission scheme for medicinal plants component is given at Annexure - I.

Presently, National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India is implementing Central Sector Scheme on 'Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants' wherein following activities are supported:

- (i) In-situ conservation / Ex-situ conservation
- (ii) Livelihood linkages with Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs)  /  Panchayats  /  Van  Panchayats  /  Biodiversity  Management Committees (BMCs) / Self Help Groups (SHGs).
- (iii) IEC activities like Training / workshops / Seminars/ Conferences etc.
- (iv) Research & Development.
- (v) Promotion, marketing and trade of medicinal plants produce.
- (vi) Establishment of nurseries.

The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) has supported 264 projects under  Information  Education  and  Communication  (IEC)  activities  to  aware  the local masses about the medicinal plants, 19 projects under marketing of medicinal plants, 224 projects for establishment of herbal garden through different organizations  and  89  projects  for  establishment  of  nurseries  to  raise  the  Quality Planting Material. State wise project detail is given at Annexure - II .

In addition, the National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of Ayush through its  Regional  Cum  Facilitation  Centres  (RCFCs)  is  also  providing  financial  and technical  assistance  to  farmers/other  stakeholders  for  development  of  Quality Planting  Material  of  medicinal  plants  and  herbs  in  different  States.  As  per  the provision  of  scheme  guidelines,  NMPB  has  set  up  7  Regional  Cum  Facilitation Centres (RCFCs) in project mode to promote various medicinal plants activities in different regions / areas of the country. Detail is given at Annexure - III.

(b) No, Sir. However, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India had implemented Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Ayush Mission (NAM) for cultivation  of  medicinal  plants  from  the  financial  year  2015-16  to  2020-21 throughout the  country.  Under  'Medicinal  Plants'  component  of  National  Ayush Mission  Scheme,  Ministry  of  Ayush  had  supported  cultivation  of  54  prioritized medicinal  plants  out  of  140  medicinal  plants  in  identified  clusters/zones  in  the states of Western Ghats and Madhya Pradesh as per their agro climatic condition The detail is given at Annexure IV.

Till  date,  Ministry  of  Ayush  had  supported  25,017  hectare  area  under cultivation  of  medicinal  plants  in  the  states  of  Western  Ghats  including  Madhya Pradesh.  The  detail  of  area  supported  under  medicinal  plants  component  of National Ayush Mission (NAM) scheme from the financial year 2015-16 to 202021 in the states of Western Ghats and Madhya Pradesh is given below.

(Area in hectare)

| S.No.   | States         |   2015- 16 |   2016- 17 |   2017- 18 |   2018- 19 |   2019- 20 |   2020- 21 |   TOTAL |
|---------|----------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|---------|
| 1       | Goa            |          0 |         23 |         30 |         30 |         30 |          0 |     113 |
| 2       | Gujarat        |        141 |        192 |         85 |        518 |          0 |          0 |     936 |
| 3       | Karnataka      |        529 |        706 |        769 |        469 |        353 |       1100 |    3926 |
| 4       | Kerala         |        258 |        535 |        736 |        410 |          0 |        330 |    2269 |
| 5       | Maharashtra    |        327 |          0 |        444 |          0 |        520 |          0 |    1291 |
| 6       | Tamil Nadu     |        633 |        960 |        673 |        765 |        900 |          0 |    3931 |
| 7       | Madhya Pradesh |       1681 |       2518 |       2030 |       1262 |        790 |       4270 |   12551 |
| TOTAL   | TOTAL          |       3569 |       4934 |       4767 |       3454 |       2593 |       5700 |   25017 |

(c) The  Ministry  of  Ayush, Government  of  India  had  taken  initiative  and formulated a draft scheme namely 'Pradhan Mantri VRIKSH AYUSH Yojana' to promote  Cultivation  of  Medicinal  Plants.  However,  the  activities  related  to cultivation of medicinal plants have been finalised in consultation with Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Hence, the competent authority has decided to withdraw the Cabinet Note on PM Vriksh Ayush.

(d) No, Sir. As per the report 'Ayush Sector in India Prospects and Challenges' of Research and Information System (RIS) market size of Indian Ayush industry was  reported  to  be  US$  18.1  billion  in  2020-21  which  was  US$  2.85  billion  in 2014-15 as reported in another study. As per the final estimate of financial year 2020-21 shared by Statistics Division, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, an area of 6,53,000 hectare has been covered under cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants with production of 8,25,000 MT.

(e) Not applicable.

******

## Details of activities supported under Medicinal Plants Component of 'National Ayush Mission' (NAM) Scheme, Ministry of Ayush from the Financial Year 2015-16 to 2020-21.

|   S. No. | Activities supported                                |   2015- 16 |   2016- 17 |   2017- 18 |   2018- 19 |   2019- 20 |   2020- 21 |   TOTAL |
|----------|-----------------------------------------------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|---------|
|        1 | Cultivation of Medicinal Plants (Area in hectare)   |       8722 |      12109 |      10366 |       9958 |       6794 |       8356 |   56305 |
|        2 | Maintenance of cultivation                          |       2031 |        164 |        163 |        176 |        130 |         10 |    2673 |
|        3 | Establishment of Nursery                            |         32 |         39 |         38 |         38 |         50 |         23 |     220 |
|        4 | Post-harvest Management                             |         62 |         48 |         66 |         52 |         99 |         27 |     354 |
|        5 | Processing Unit                                     |          1 |          2 |          3 |          1 |         16 |          2 |      25 |
|        6 | Rural / District Collection Centres / Retail outlet |          0 |         11 |          9 |         17 |          2 |          3 |      42 |
|        7 | Seed germplasm centres                              |          0 |          3 |          5 |          0 |          1 |          1 |      10 |
|        8 | Demonstration plot                                  |          0 |          2 |          2 |          2 |          6 |          3 |      15 |
|        9 | IEC activities                                      |          0 |         25 |         43 |         82 |         53 |         32 |     235 |
|       10 | Training for farmers                                |          0 |       1250 |       4584 |       7532 |       4195 |       1500 |   19061 |

## Detail of projects supported under Central Sector Scheme on 'Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants'

| S.No.   | State             | No. of Project supported   | No. of Project supported              | No. of Project supported   | No. of Project supported    |
|---------|-------------------|----------------------------|---------------------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------------------|
|         |                   | Quality Planting Material  | Information, Education& Communication | Marketing and Trade        | Institutional Herbal Garden |
| 1       | A &NIsland        | 0                          | 0                                     | 0                          | 2                           |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh    | 6                          | 5                                     | 0                          | 10                          |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh | 1                          | 6                                     | 0                          | 3                           |
| 4       | Assam             | 3                          | 13                                    | 0                          | 13                          |
| 5       | Bihar             | 1                          | 0                                     | 0                          | 1                           |
| 6       | Chhattisgarh      | 0                          | 1                                     | 0                          | 2                           |
| 7       | Delhi             | 3                          | 44                                    | 10                         | 14                          |
| 8       | Goa               | 1                          | 0                                     | 0                          | 2                           |
| 9       | Gujarat           | 2                          | 6                                     | 0                          | 11                          |
| 10      | Haryana           | 0                          | 3                                     | 0                          | 8                           |
| 11      | Himachal Pradesh  | 1                          | 4                                     | 0                          | 5                           |
| 12      | Jammu &Kashmir    | 3                          | 2                                     | 0                          | 9                           |
| 13      | Jharkhand         | 3                          | 4                                     | 0                          | 4                           |
| 14      | Karnataka         | 2                          | 19                                    | 0                          | 10                          |
| 15      | Kerala            | 5                          | 10                                    | 0                          | 26                          |
| 16      | Ladakh            | 0                          | 2                                     | 0                          | 0                           |
| 17      | Madhya Pradesh    | 4                          | 16                                    | 1                          | 1                           |
| 18      | Maharashtra       | 4                          | 19                                    | 1                          | 21                          |
| 19      | Manipur           | 3                          | 3                                     | 0                          | 2                           |
| 20      | Meghalaya         | 0                          | 3                                     | 0                          | 0                           |
| 21      | Mizoram           | 1                          | 1                                     | 0                          | 3                           |
| 22      | Nagaland          | 3                          | 3                                     | 0                          | 1                           |
| 23      | Odisha            | 2                          | 10                                    | 0                          | 7                           |
| 24      | Pondicherry       | 0                          | 0                                     | 0                          | 1                           |
| 25      | Punjab            | 3                          | 8                                     | 0                          | 6                           |
| 26      | Rajasthan         | 3                          | 9                                     | 2                          | 9                           |
| 27      | Sikkim            | 2                          | 1                                     | 0                          | 0                           |
| 28      | Tamil Nadu        | 1                          | 21                                    | 0                          | 14                          |
| 29      | Telangana         | 4                          | 6                                     | 3                          | 5                           |
| 30      | Uttar Pradesh     | 5                          | 11                                    | 0                          | 12                          |
| 31      | Uttarakhand       | 19                         | 14                                    | 0                          | 11                          |
| 32      | West Bengal       | 4                          | 20                                    | 2                          | 11                          |
|         | Total             | 89                         | 264                                   | 19                         | 224                         |

## Detail of Regional cum Facilitation Centres (RCFCs)

|   S. No. | Name and Address of RCFC                                                                                                                                                        | State Covered                                                                                        |
|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | RCFC (Northern Region-I) Research Institute in Indian Systems of Medicine (RIISM), Joginder Nagar, Dist. Mandi, Himachal Pradesh - 175 015                                      | Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh                     |
|        2 | RCFC (Northern Region-II) Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences &Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, Sopore - 193201, Jammu& Kashmir | Jammu &Kashmir, Ladakh                                                                               |
|        3 | RCFC (Central Region) State Forest Research Institute (SFRI), Polipathar, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh - 482 008                                                                    | Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh                                                                         |
|        4 | RCFC (Eastern Region) Jadavpur University, 188, Raja S.C. Mallick Road, Kolkata - 700032, West Bengal                                                                           | Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal                                                                |
|        5 | RCFC (Southern Region) Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi - 680653, Thrissur, Kerala                                                                               | Andaman & Nicobar, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana |
|        6 | RCFC (Western Region) Department of Botany, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411007, Maharashtra                                                             | Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu                            |
|        7 | RCFC (North Eastern Region) Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - North East Institute of Science &Technology (CSIR- NEIST), NH-37, Pulibor, Jorhat, Assam 785006     | Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura                     |

## Details of Medicinal plants supported in the state of Western Ghats and Madhya Pradesh as per their climatic conditions under Medicinal Plants Component of 'National Ayush Mission' (NAM) Scheme, Ministry of Ayush from the Financial Year 2015-16 to 2020-21.

|   S.No. | Botanical name             | Common name     |   Area in hectare |
|---------|----------------------------|-----------------|-------------------|
|       1 | Acorus calamus             | Bach            |                81 |
|       2 | Adhatoda zeylanica         | Adusa           |                60 |
|       3 | Aegle marmelos             | Beal            |               125 |
|       4 | Aloe vera                  | Ghritkumari     |               196 |
|       5 | Alpinia calcarata          | Smaller galanga |                50 |
|       6 | Alpinia galangal           | Greater Galanga |                45 |
|       7 | Andrographis paniculata    | Kalmegh         |              1112 |
|       8 | Aquilaria agallocha        | Agarwood        |               356 |
|       9 | Asparagus racemosus        | Shatavari       |               429 |
|      10 | Azadirachta indica         | Neem            |                76 |
|      11 | Bacopa monnieri            | Brahmi          |                72 |
|      12 | Bergenia ciliata           | Pashanbheda     |                40 |
|      13 | Boerhaavia diffusa         | Punarnava       |                10 |
|      14 | Caesalpinia sappan         | Patang          |                 5 |
|      15 | Cassia angustifolia        | Senna           |               486 |
|      16 | Catharanthus roseus        | Sadabahar       |               130 |
|      17 | Celastrus paniculata       | Malkangni       |                10 |
|      18 | Chlorophytum borivillianum | Safed Musli     |               813 |
|      19 | Commiphora wightii         | Guggal          |                89 |
|      20 | Coleus barbatus            | Pather chur     |              2705 |
|      21 | Coleus forskholii          | Coleus          |                13 |
|      22 | Convolvulus microphyllus   | Shankpushpi     |                25 |
|      23 | Desmodium gangeticum       | Sarivan         |                85 |
|      24 | Embelia ribes              | Vai vindang     |                 5 |
|      25 | Emblica officinalis        | Amla            |               985 |
|      26 | Garcinia indica            | Kokkum          |               163 |
|      27 | Gloriosa superba           | Kalihari        |               439 |
|      28 | Gmelina arborea            | Gambhari        |               205 |
|      29 | Hemidesmus indicus         | Anantmool       |                 2 |
|      30 | Kaempferia galanga         | Indian crocus   |                70 |
|      31 | Lepidum sativum            | Chandrasur      |               310 |
|      32 | Leptadenia reticulata      | Jivanti         |                45 |

| 33          | Mucuna Prurita         | Konch        |   141 |
|-------------|------------------------|--------------|-------|
| 34          | Ocimum sanctum         | Tulsi        |  5214 |
| 35          | Oroxylum indicum       | Syonaka      |    10 |
| 36          | Piper longum           | Pippali      |   906 |
| 37          | Plantago ovata         | Isabgol      |   270 |
| 38          | Plumbago zeylanica     | Chitrak      |   160 |
| 39          | Pterocarpus marsupium  | Beejasar     |   120 |
| 40          | Pterocarpus santalinus | Raktachandan |   276 |
| 41          | Pueraria tuberosa      | Vidarikand   |     5 |
| 42          | Rauwolfia serpentina   | Sarpagandha  |    57 |
| 43          | Santalum album         | Chandan      |  1162 |
| 44          | Saraca asoca           | Ashok        |   325 |
| 45          | Sida rhombifolia       | Flannel weed |    30 |
| 46          | Solanum nigrum         | Makoy        |    91 |
| 47          | Solanum xanthocarpum   | Kantakari    |    10 |
| 48          | Stevia rebaudiana      | Madhukari    |  1062 |
| 49          | Terminalia arjuna      | Arjun        |    20 |
| 50          | Terminalia chebula     | Harad        |    38 |
| 51          | Tinospora cordifolia   | Giloe        |    29 |
| 52          | Uraria picta           | Prishnaparni |    20 |
| 53          | Vitex nirgundo         | Nirgundi     |    20 |
| 54          | Withania somnifera     | Ashwagandha  |  5814 |
| Grand Total | Grand Total            | Grand Total  | 25017 |