Lok Sabha Question No. 4752 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-20
Subject: Promotion of Desert Medicinal Plants
Ministry: AYUSH
Asked by: Shri Ummeda Ram Beniwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED ADMITTED QUESTION NO. 4752 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20/03/2026

## Promotion of Desert Medicinal Plants

## 4752. Shri Ummeda Ram Beniwal:

Will the Minister of Ayush be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to promote desert medicinal plants such as Guggul (Commiphora  wightii)  and Aloe  Vera  (Aloe  barbadens  is  miller)  through AYUSHbased value chain development and cultivation initiatives;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  schemes  or  programmes  launched  or  being implemented  for  the  cultivation,  conservation,  processing,  marketing  and  export promotion of such medicinal plants including  the  financial  assistance  and  technical support provided to farmers; and
- (c) whether similar promotional and value chain development efforts are being undertaken  in  other  arid  and  semi-arid  States  of  the  Country  and  if  so,  the  details thereof, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

- (a) Yes,  National  Medicinal  Plants  Board  (NMPB),  Ministry  of  Ayush  promotes  the desert  medicinal  plants  such  as  Guggul  ( Commiphora wightii (Arn.) Bhandari)  and Aloe vera ( Aloe barbadensis Miller) through AYUSH-based value chain development and cultivation initiatives through its Regional-cum-Facilitation Centres (RCFCs) in different  geographical  regions  across  the  country  by  providing  Quality  Planting Material (QPM) to the farmers for cultivation initiative including training programs

on GAP & value addition of these medicinal plants. Further, NMPB under its 'Central Sector  Scheme  on  Conservation,  Development  and  Sustainable  Management  of Medicinal Plants' have provided project based support to State Forest Departments in desert, arid and semi-arid states like Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan for in-situ conservation of medicinal plants in their natural habitats by way of  establishing  Medicinal  Plants  Conservation  and  Development  Areas  (MPCDAs), Resource Augmentation/ Plantation of medicinal plants species in forest areas through in-situ resource augmentation. The financial assistance to State Forest Department in this  regard  is  provided  as  per  the  cost  norms  of  the  Scheme  guidelines  provisions.

- (b) National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India is implementing Central Sector Scheme on 'Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants' throughout the country to promote the cultivation of medicinal plants wherein following activities are supported:
- (i) Information  Education  &  Communication  (IEC)  activities  like  Training  / Workshops / Seminars/ Conferences etc.
- (ii) Forward and backward linkage in supply chain of medicinal plants (Integrated Component).
- (iii) In-situ conservation / Ex-situ conservation.
- (iv) Livelihood  linkages  with  Joint  Forest  Management  Committees  (JFMCs)  / Panchayats / Van Panchayats / Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) / Self Help Groups (SHGs).
- (v) Research & Development.
- (vi) Promotion, marketing and trade of medicinal plants produce.

In addition, to provide a platform for trade of Medicinal Plants & easy market access, NMPB has  launched  ' eCHARAK' mobile  application  as  well  as  web  portal  for promotion  and marketing of medicinal plants/her bs. The 'e -CHARAK' is a platform to enable information exchange  between  various  stakeholders  mainly  farmers  involved  in  the  medicinal  plants sector acr oss 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  users-11,119;  Total  visitors-30565540;  Posted items-7,588; Buyer Sellers Interactions-7114690.

(c) 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.

Till date, National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of Ayush has approved total 15 project proposals  to  the  different  states  including  Rajasthan  and  Gujarat  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  cover  approximately  2000 hectare area under cultivation of medicinal plants by providing the Quality Planting Material to the farmers. Details are given at Annexure-1 .

Further, NMPB also support Information Education & Communication (IEC) activities like Training / Workshops / Seminars/ Conferences etc. under this scheme and has supported 138 projects for organizing training program/seminars/workshops for promotion of cultivation of medicinal plants throughout the country during the financial year 2020-21 to 2024-25, for an amount of Rs.1171.94 Lakh. The details are given at Annexure-2.

## Details of projects approved under Integrated Component of Central Sector Scheme for Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants

|   S.No | Financial Year   | State          |   Total approved amount (In lakh) |
|--------|------------------|----------------|-----------------------------------|
|      1 | 2023-24          | Andhra Pradesh |                            120    |
|      2 | 2023-24          | Jammu &Kashmir |                             82.5  |
|      3 | 2023-24          | Mizoram        |                            120    |
|      4 | 2023-24          | Uttarakhand    |                            120    |
|      5 | 2024-25          | Karnataka      |                            120    |
|      6 | 2024-25          | Tamil Nadu     |                             95    |
|      7 | 2024-25          | Kerala         |                            120    |
|      8 | 2024-25          | Madhya Pradesh |                            119.95 |
|      9 | 2024-25          | Gujarat        |                            120    |
|     10 | 2025-26          | Rajasthan      |                            120    |
|     11 | 2025-26          | Rajasthan      |                            120    |
|     12 | 2025-26          | Uttar Pradesh  |                            120    |
|     13 | 2025-26          | Uttar Pradesh  |                            100    |
|     14 | 2025-26          | Gujarat        |                            120    |
|     15 | 2025-26          | Haryana        |                            120    |

## Annexure-2

The  details  of  projects  [Information  Education  &  Communication  (IEC)]  sanctioned 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

| S. No.   | State/UT          | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | No of Project   | Amount                    |
|----------|-------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|-----------------|---------------------------|
| S. No.   | State/UT          | 2020- 21         | 2021- 22         | 2022- 23         | 2023- 24         | 2024- 25         | sanctioned      | sanctioned (Rs. In Lakhs) |
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh    | 01               | 01               | 01               | 0                | 02               | 05              | 42.00                     |
| 2.       | Arunachal Pradesh | 0                | 0                | 01               | 0                | 0                | 01              | 14.2                      |
| 3.       | Assam             | 01               | 02               | 03               | 02               | 0                | 08              | 151.14                    |
| 4.       | Chandigarh        | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 01               | 01              | 5.00                      |
| 5.       | Chhattisgarh      | 0                | 0                | 01               | 0                | 00               | 01              | 29.50                     |
| 6.       | Delhi             | 02               | 05               | 06               | 01               | 03               | 17              | 151.53                    |
| 7.       | Gujarat           | 0                | 0                | 0                | 01               | 01               | 02              | 22.00                     |
| 8.       | Haryana           | 01               | 0                | 01               | 01               | 01               | 04              | 14.00                     |
| 9.       | Himachal Pradesh  | 0                | 0                | 0                | 01               | 01               | 02              | 26.57                     |
| 10.      | Jammu& Kashmir    | 0                | 0                | 0                | 04               | 0                | 04              | 36.91                     |
| 11.      | Jharkhand         | 0                | 0                | 03               | 0                | 0                | 03              | 11.80                     |
| 12.      | Karnataka         | 0                | 03               | 02               | 0                | 03               | 08              | 114.87                    |
| 13.      | Kerala            | 01               | 0                | 02               | 02               | 0                | 05              | 25.50                     |
| 14.      | Ladakh            | 0                | 0                | 02               | 0                | 01               | 03              | 15.00                     |
| 15.      | Madhya Pradesh    | 0                | 04               | 03               | 0                | 01               | 08              | 72.40                     |
| 16.      | Maharashtra       | 02               | 0                | 02               | 01               | 01               | 06              | 58.62                     |
| 17.      | Manipur           | 0                | 0                | 01               | 0                | 0                | 01              | 10.00                     |
| 18.      | Meghalaya         | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 01               | 01              | 2.00                      |
| 19.      | Mizoram           | 0                | 0                | 01               | 0                | 0                | 01              | 5.00                      |
| 20.      | Odisha            | 03               | 03               | 01               | 02               | 0                | 09              | 23.25                     |
| 21.      | Punjab            | 01               | 01               | 01               | 02               | 0                | 05              | 35.00                     |
| 22.      | Rajasthan         | 01               | 0                | 0                | 01               | 03               | 05              | 29.85                     |
| 23.      | Tamil Nadu        | 0                | 03               | 09               | 04               | 05               | 21              | 98.85                     |
| 24.      | Telangana         | 0                | 0                | 0                | 01               | 0                | 01              | 10.00                     |
| 25.      | Uttar Pradesh     | 0                | 02               | 01               | 03               | 0                | 06              | 72.80                     |
| 26.      | Uttarakhand       | 0                | 0                | 01               | 03               | 0                | 04              | 30.00                     |
| 27.      | West Bengal       | 01               | 01               | 03               | 0                | 01               | 06              | 64.15                     |
|          | Total             | 14               | 25               | 45               | 29               | 25               | 138             | 1171.94                   |