Lok Sabha Question No. 3494 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-13
Subject: Promotion of Cultivation of Medicinal Plants
Ministry: AYUSH
Asked by: Smt. Anita Nagarsingh Chouhan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED ADMITTED QUESTION NO. 3494 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13/03/2026

## Promoting cultivation of medicinal plants

## 3494 Smt. Anita Nagarsingh Chouhan:

Will the Minister of Ayush be pleased to state:

(a) whether any special scheme/programme is being implemented by the Government to promote the cultivation of medicinal plants used in the Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy systems in the country and if so, the details thereof, stream-wise;

(b) whether the farmers have been provided with subsidies, training, seed/planting material support, minimum  support  price  or  cluster  development  facilities for cultivation  of  medicinal  plants  in  Madhya  Pradesh,  particularly  in  Parliamentary constituency 24 Ratlam-Jhabua-Alirajpur and if so, the details thereof, district-wise;

(c) whether  any  special  action  plan  has  been  proposed  to  promote  cultivation  of AYUSH medicinal plants as an alternative source of income for farmers in tribal and rain-fed areas; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reason therefor?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) Yes, 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.

(b)   No. Currently, there is no such scheme to provide the subsidy to the farmers for cultivation of medicinal plants in NMPB, Ministry of Ayush. However, in the past Ministry of Ayush, had implemented Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Ayush Mission (NAM) to promote the cultivation  of  medicinal  plants  since  2015-16  to  2020-21  throughout  the  country  including Madhya Pradesh. The detail is given at Annexure-I.

NMPB, Ministry of Ayush is implementing a component namely 'Forward and backward linkage  in  supply  chain  of  medicinal  plants  (Integrated  Component)'  under  Central  Sector Scheme (CSS) on 'Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants' throughout the country including Madhya Pradesh wherein the following activities are supported:

- Infrastructure  for  Quality  Planting  Material  to  raise  the  planting  material  for distribution to the farmers for medicinal plants 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, NMPB, Ministry of Ayush has approved an amount of Rs. 119.95 lakh to the State  Medicinal  Plants  Board,  Madhya  Pradesh  during  the  F.Y .  2024-25  under  Integrated Component. The detail is given at Annexure-II.

Further, NMPB, Ministry of Ayush, has approved 157 projects for organizing training program/seminars/workshops for promotion of cultivation of medicinal plants throughout the country including Madhya Pradesh from financial year 2020-21 to till date, for an amount of Rs.1255.96 Lakh. Apart from it, National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of Ayush through  its  Regional-cum-Facilitation  Centre  (RCFCs)  located  at  different  regions  of  the country provide Quality Planting Material (QPM) of medicinal plants to farmers/ growers to promote cultivation  of  medicinal  plants  in  the  country . In  addition,  through  these  RCFCs training  &  workshops  on  Good  Agriculture  Practices  (GAPs)  &  Good  Field  Collection Practices (GFCPs) are also organized from time to time.

(c)  &  (d)  There  is  no  such  special  action  plan  proposed  to  promote  cultivation  of Ayush medicinal plants as an alternative source of income for farmers in tribal and rain-fed areas However, Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of  Horticulture  (MIDH),  under  Ministry  of Agriculture  &  Farmers  Welfare,  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  is  being  implemented  for holistic growth of the horticulture sector including medicinal plants throughout the country. Under MIDH scheme, provision has been made for providing assistance for area expansion of short duration medicinal plants i.e. non-perennial in nature and non-tree species. Details of cost norms alongwith the pattern of assistance are as under:

|   S. No. | Name of the Component                                                                                                                                                                  | Cost Norms      | Pattern of Assistance                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Medicinal Plants (Mulethi, Shatavari, Kalihari, Shwet Musali, Guggle, Manjishtha, Kutki, Atees, Jatamansi, Ashwagandha, Brahmi, Tulsi, Vidarikand, Pippali, Chirata, Pushkarmool etc.) | Rs. 1,50,000/ha | Assistance @40%ingeneral areas for an area upto 2 ha. on pro rata basis for meeting the expenditure on planting material and cost of material for INM/IPM etc. in 2 instalments of 60:40 In the case of NE & Himalayan States, Scheduled areas including TSP (Tribal Sub Plan) areas, vibrant villages, Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands, assistance will be @ 50% for an area upto 2 ha. on pro rata basis. |

## Annexure-I

## The activates supported under Medicinal Plants Component of National Ayush Mission (NAM) scheme from the Financial Year 2015-16 to 2020-21 to the Madhya Pradesh

(Rs. In lakh)

|   S.No | Component                             |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   Total |
|--------|---------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------|
|      1 | Fund approved                         |   306.905 |   496.382 |   450.275 |   334.459 |   516.873 |   967.236 | 3072.13 |
|      2 | Fund released (Central share)         |   276.215 |   297.829 |   270.165 |   200.675 |   310.12  |   230.17  | 1585.17 |
|      3 | No. of farmers supported for training |     0     |     0     |   400     |   440     |   500     |   250     | 1590    |

## Annexure -II

NMPB has approved a project entitled 'Forward and backward linkage in supply chain of medicinal plants at Khandwa district in MP' to SMPB Madhya Pradesh under the Integrated Component (IC) of Central Sector Scheme during the F.Y. 2024-25.

|   S.No. | Madhya Pradesh              | Madhya Pradesh                             |
|---------|-----------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Fund released (Rs. In lakh) | 119.95                                     |
|       2 | No. of farmers              | 500                                        |
|       3 | No.of species               | 4 (Ashwagandha, Shatawar, Moringa, Stevia) |
|       4 | District covered            | Khandwa                                    |