Jammu : Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo Saturday chaired a joint meeting of the Forest and Agriculture Production Departments along with the CSIR–Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu, to evolve a comprehensive roadmap for commercial cultivation, conservation and large-scale promotion of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) across Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by the Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department; Commissioner Secretary, Forest Department; Director, CSIR-IIIM Jammu; senior officers of the Forest Department, SKUAST, and other concerned stakeholders.
During the deliberation at the meeting Chief Secretary highlighted the underperformance of Jammu and Kashmir’s medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) sector, generating only ₹12 crore annually against a potential of nearly ₹10,000 crore nationally and about ₹2 lakh crore globally. He called for a structured and commercially viable strategy to enhance the economic and livelihood potential of the sector, particularly for farmers’ incomes. Inter-departmental coordination was emphasized, with specific roles assigned to the Forest Department, Agriculture Production Department, and agricultural research institutions. The Forest Department is tasked with propagating planting material and providing training to farmers, while the Agriculture Production Department will identify commercially viable MAP species and develop cultivation practices. Research institutions like CSIR-IIIM Jammu and SKUAST are expected to offer technical expertise and establish Centres of Excellence for MAP cultivation. The Additional Chief Secretary stressed the importance of a long-term, sustainability-oriented roadmap that creates a self-sustaining ecosystem for farmers, with initial government support focused on capacity building and market linkages. The Forest Department committed to making regulations more farmer-friendly and supporting nurseries as hubs for quality planting material and skill training. The Managing Director of the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) reported the establishment of 28 MAP clusters involving 1,400 farmers and training for over 5,300 farmers in the past two years. The meeting also noted the high market demand for certain MAP species in Jammu and Kashmir, with prices ranging from ₹100 to ₹1,00,000 per kg. Dr. Zabeer Ahmad from CSIR-IIIM Jammu discussed the phytopharmaceutical potential of local MAP species and the institute’s efforts in developing market-oriented products. He emphasized the vision of positioning Jammu and Kashmir as a leading hub for a MAP-driven bio-economy, leveraging its biodiversity and the projected growth of the global MAP market. The proposed strategy includes land optimization, establishment of aroma and phyto-pharma clusters, and fostering partnerships among communities, institutions, and industries. Additionally, the need for amendments to the J&K Minor Forest Produce Policy-2022 was discussed to enhance farmer participation, improve R&D infrastructure, and strengthen market linkages across the region.
