Lok Sabha Question No. 4748 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-20
Subject: Cultivation and Conservation of Medicinal Plants
Ministry: AYUSH
Asked by: Shri Jugal Kishore, Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor, Shri Rodmal Nagar

## †

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. † 4748 ANSWERED ON 20/03/2026

' Cultivation and Conservation of Medicinal Plants '

## 4748. Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor: Shri Jugal Kishore: & Shri Rodmal Nagar:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  AYUSH  projects  sanctioned,  funds  released  and  the  number  of  tribal farmers  whose  income  has  been  increased  under  the  Central  Sector  Scheme  for Conservation, Development  and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants in the country during the last five years, State/UT-wise including Jammu and Kashmir, Dahod Parliamentary Constituency of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh;
- (b) whether the medicinal  plant  cultivation  projects  have  been  implemented  in  Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether any special efforts have been made by the Government for the in-situ and exsitu conservation of rare and endangered medicinal plants in the forest areas of Dahod and the measurable results and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the  details  of  the  progress  made  towards  the  goal  of  linking  the  medicinal  plants producers of Dahod to the market, ensuring price transparency and doubling income through e-Charak mobile App; and
- (e) the impact of the Scheme on farmers income and on the area expansion under medicinal plant cultivation?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) The  National  Medicinal  Plants  Board  (NMPB),  Ministry  of  Ayush  is  presently implementing 'Central Sector Scheme  for Conservation, Development  and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants' throughout the country including Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Under the scheme, the project-based support is provided for following activities:

- i. In-situ conservation through development of Medicinal Plants Conservation and Development Areas (MPCDAs).
- ii. In-situ/Ex-situ resource augmentation.
- iii. Ex-situ conservation through establishment of herbal gardens.

- iv. Livelihood  linkages  with  Joint  Forest  Management  Committees  (JFMCs)  / Panchayats / Van Panchayats / Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) / Self Help Groups (SHGs).
- v. IEC activities like Training / workshops / Seminars/ Conferences etc.
- vi. Research & Development.
- vii. Promotion of marketing and trade of medicinal plants produce.
- viii. Forward and backward linkage in supply chain of medicinal plants.

The details of projects sanctioned and funds released under the Central Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable management of Medicinal Plants during the last five years, state wise at Annexure I.

(b) The  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 including Madhya Pradesh. Till date, Ministry of Ayush had released as a central share an amount of Rs. 15.85 Crore and supported 12,551 hectare area under cultivation of medicinal plants, in Madhya Pradesh under medicinal plants component of National Ayush Mission (NAM) from the financial year 2015-16 to 2020-21. The detail is given at Annexure-II.

Besides this, National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of Ayush has approved a project entitled 'Forward and backward linkage in supply chain of medicinal plants at Khandwa district in MP' to the State Medicinal Plants Board, Madhya Pradesh for an amount of Rs. 119.95 lakh during the  F.Y. 2024-25  under Integrated  Component to raise the planting material for distribution to the farmers for medicinal plants cultivation and establishment of  infrastructure for Post-Harvest Management and Marketing.

(c) NMPB, under its 'Central Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants' is providing project based support for the conservation of rare and endangered  of medicinal plants to State Forest Departments including State of Gujarat for Resource Augmentation/ Plantation of medicinal plants in forest areas through in-situ resource augmentation, plantation outside designated forest areas through ex-situ resource augmentation and Support to (JFMCs)/Panchayats/ Van Panchayat/SHGs/BMCs etc. for setting of local cluster for  value  addition,  drying,  warehousing  and  augmenting  marketing  infrastructure  etc.  and generate livelihood to these forest fringe communities. During the last five (5) years, the NMPB has supported a project entitled ' in-situ Resource Augmentation of medicinal plants in Kutch Circle,  to Gujarat.

(d) To ensure price transparency and increase the income of the farmers, NMPB has launched 'e -CHARAK' mobile application as well as web portal  for the  promotion  and  marketing  of medicinal plants/herbs for trade of Medicinal Plants & easy market access, The 'e -CHARAK' is a platform to enable information exchange between various stakeholders mainly farmers involved in  the  medicinal  plants  sector  across  the  country.  The  'e -CHARAK'  application  supports

different local languages and it also provides fortnightly market price of 100 MPs from 25 herbal markets across India.

Currently,  e-Charak  mobile  has Registered  users11,119; Total  visitors30565540; Posted items7,588; B uyer Sellers Interactions7114690.

(e) The cultivation activities are not supported under the Central Sector Scheme. However, NMPB, Ministry  of  Ayush  has  supported  projects  under  Forward  and  Backward  Linkage  in Supply Chain of Medicinal Plants (Integrated Component) of existing Central Sector Scheme from the F.Y. 2023-24, wherein project based support is provided for Infrastructure for Quality Planting Material to raise the planting material of medicinal plants for cultivation, Information Education Communication (IEC) activities to aware the farmers, Infrastructure for Post-Harvest Management and Marketing to increase the marketability of the medicinal plants, adding value to the produce, increasing profitability and reducing losses, Quality Testing and Certification of raw material.

NMPB  has  approved  total  15  project  proposals  to  the  different  organization  under Forward and Backward Linkages in supply chain of Medicinal Plants (Integrated Component) of Central  Sector  Scheme  of  NMPB  from  the  Financial  Year  2023  -24  to  till  date  to  cover approximately 2000 hectare area under cultivation of medicinal plants by providing the QPM to the farmers.

******

The details of new projects sanctioned and total funds released ( new as well as old projects) under the Central Sector Scheme in the country during the last five years, State/UT-wise including, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

| S. No.   | State             |   No. of new projects sanctioned |   Total fund released to the state for new as well as old projects during last 5 years (Amount in lakh) |
|----------|-------------------|----------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andaman &Nicobar  |                                1 |                                                                                                   24.5  |
| 2.       | Andhra Pradesh    |                               16 |                                                                                                  466.78 |
| 3.       | Arunachal Pradesh |                                5 |                                                                                                   79.67 |
| 4.       | Assam             |                               24 |                                                                                                 1063    |
| 5.       | Bihar             |                                2 |                                                                                                   43.09 |
| 6.       | Chandigarh        |                                3 |                                                                                                   58.32 |
| 7.       | Chhattisgarh      |                                5 |                                                                                                  158.25 |
| 8.       | Delhi             |                               39 |                                                                                                 1116.84 |
| 9.       | Goa               |                                1 |                                                                                                   47.24 |
| 10.      | Gujarat           |                               14 |                                                                                                 1348.02 |
| 11.      | Haryana           |                               16 |                                                                                                  515.72 |
| 12.      | Himachal Pradesh  |                               20 |                                                                                                  730.12 |
| 13.      | Jammu &Kashmir    |                               14 |                                                                                                  679.4  |
| 14.      | Jharkhand         |                                6 |                                                                                                   14.2  |
| 15.      | Karnataka         |                               32 |                                                                                                 1585.04 |
| 16.      | Kerala            |                               31 |                                                                                                 1379.74 |
| 17.      | Ladakh            |                                4 |                                                                                                   91.75 |
| 18.      | Lakshdweep        |                                0 |                                                                                                   26.17 |
| 19.      | Madhya Pradesh    |                               27 |                                                                                                  594.03 |
| 20.      | Maharashtra       |                               25 |                                                                                                  828.99 |
| 21.      | Manipur           |                                8 |                                                                                                  141.94 |
| 22.      | Meghalaya         |                                2 |                                                                                                   31.15 |
| 23.      | Mizoram           |                                7 |                                                                                                  325.77 |
| 24.      | Nagaland          |                                3 |                                                                                                   97.93 |
| 25.      | Odisha            |                               20 |                                                                                                  150.28 |
| 26.      | Punjab            |                               13 |                                                                                                  195.48 |
| 27.      | Puducherry        |                                4 |                                                                                                   96.75 |
| 28.      | Rajasthan         |                               12 |                                                                                                  224.26 |
| 29.      | Sikkim            |                                3 |                                                                                                  520.22 |
| 30.      | Tamil Nadu        |                               51 |                                                                                                  687.31 |
| 31.      | Telangana         |                               14 |                                                                                                  544.47 |
| 32.      | Tripura           |                                1 |                                                                                                    0    |
| 33.      | Uttar Pradesh     |                               38 |                                                                                                 1096.64 |
| 34.      | Uttarakhand       |                               26 |                                                                                                  700.21 |
| 35.      | West Bengal       |                               11 |                                                                                                  842.22 |
|          |                   |                              498 |                                                                                                16505.5  |

## The detail of activities approved in Madhya Pradesh under Medicinal Plants Component of National Ayush Mission (NAM) scheme from the financial year 2015-16 to 2020-21.

|   S. No. | Activities                                                           |   2015- 16 |   2016 -17 |   2017- 18 |   2018- 19 |   2019- 20 |   2020- 21 |    Total |
|----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|----------|
|        1 | Area covered under cultivation of medicinal plants (Area in hectare) |    1681    |    2518    |     2030   |    1262    |      790   |     4270   | 12551    |
|        2 | No. of Post-Harvest Management units (in numbers)                    |       0    |       0    |       14   |       0    |       40   |        9   |    63    |
|        3 | Rural Collection Centre (in numbers)                                 |       0    |       0    |        0   |       1    |        0   |        0   |     1    |
|        4 | Fund released (Central Share) ( Rs. in Crore )                       |       2.76 |       2.98 |        2.7 |       2.01 |        3.1 |        2.3 |    15.85 |