Advisors Kumar, Skandan for action oriented approach to develop JK’s Medicinal Plants

Jammu: Advisors to Governor, K Vijay Kumar and K Skandan Monday emphasized on specific action oriented approach and planning for development of Medicinal Plants sector in the state and to take required steps for conservation of these plants.
The Advisors were speaking during the introductory meeting of J&K State Medicinal Plants Board, here Monday.
Principal Secretary, H&ME, Atal Dulloo, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Suresh Chugh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Roshan Jaggi, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Sanjeev Verma besides Board members, HoDs from various departments and representatives from Universities attended the meeting.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Khan attended the meeting through video conferencing.
The Advisor sough the briefing on the measures initiated to conserve the medicinal plants and enquired about the survey of medicinal plants.
The Advisors were of the opinion to integrate the farmers having traditional knowledge in medicinal plants with the conservation process. They asked the Board Members to identify the medicinal plant producers to augment their capacities and keeping their knowledge and expertise in synergy by sharing important information with each other.
Discussion on creating in-situ logistic markets for medicinal plant products, processing, branding and selling of these products, identification of farmers, creation of seed banks, bringing areas already growing medicinal plants under conservation, handholding of already identified farmers was also held during the meeting.
The Advisors called for fixing responsibilities for creation of producers’ society and asked the Divisional Commissioner’s to mentor the departments to identify the producers and constitution of producers’ society.
They stressed on formation of small markets in different locations for the medicinal plants produce and making the markets more robust by categorization of the medicinal plant products.
The meeting was briefed about the objectives of the J&K State Medicinal Plants Board that are to promote in-situ conservation of medicinal plants which are important to the AYUSH and Folk system of Medicine, to promote Ex-situ conservation by supporting such programs in rural /urban and peri-urban lands and waste lands, engage the eco-task force mechanism for revising habitat degradation of medicinal plants besides promoting research and development activities, quality standardization and adoption of good agriculture practices.
It was further informed that for conservation program, Medicinal Plant Conservation Areas (MPCA) are proposed to be taken up in all the districts. For that, around 6000 hectares of forest area, is proposed to be taken up. To begin with, two forest areas, Zabarwan in Srinagar and Majalta in Jammu may be taken for establishment of Medicinal Plants Conservation and Development areas and Resource Augmentation.