'Shift to cultivation of medicinal, aromatic plants'

Eminent agriculture scientists urged the farmers to shift their focus from paddy to the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants due to the latter's tremendous export potential.

They were speaking on a seminar on cultivation of medicinal and aromatic crops here on Friday, Pointing out uncertainties over water availability and remunerative prices for paddy, the scientists said the farmers in both delta and upland areas could take to cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants.

The farmers could take advantage of attractive subsidies being offered by both the central and the state governments for growing medicinal and aromatic plants, they said. These crops do not need much water. Cultivation cost is also nominal. Moreover, there will not be any marketing problem for these crops.

The annual global trade in medicinal and aromatic plants was around Rs 2,70,000 crore, they said. But India's share in this is a negligible Rs 450 crore, while China exports touch Rs 20,000 crore and even small country like Taiwan earns Rs 10,000 crore from export of these crops, they added.

The central government, alerted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the massive smuggling of about 5,000 wild herbal and aromatic plants from the country, set up the National Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Board to promote their cultivation on a large-scale across the country. The government has allocated Rs 60 lakh as subsidy for growing medicinal plants in about 12,000 acres with 50 per cent seed subsidy. The government has identified 32 crops which have immense medicinal values as well as a great export potential. Only eight of these plants do not grow in Andhra Pradesh and the remaining 24 plants can be easily cultivated anywhere in the state.

Y Narayana Reddy, professor of horticulture at Acharya N G Ranga Agriculture University (ANGRAU), underscored the need to take up cultivation of amla (usiri). He said amla was the only crop used in around 219 medicines in the world. A gram of amla contains 800-900 mg of vitamin C.

A potent anti-oxidant, amla delays ageing and slows down dying of body cells. It also contains important fibroids. The soils in Andhra Pradesh are suitable for the high yield amla variety NA-7. It is at present cultivated in 3,000-4,000 acres in the state.

K Narasimha Reddy, a noted farmer-cum-scientist, advised the farmers of coastal districts to start cultivating plants like aswagandha (pennerugaddalu), nelavemu, nelausiri (phillanchus), sonamukhi (nelatangedu), satavari (pilliteegala), pashanabhedi (colius), aerva laneta (pindikoora), vasa, jatropha (aamudam), henna (gorintaku), alloveera (kalabanda), gloriosa (nagetidumpa) and moosambaram.

Aswagandha is used in all ayurvedic medicines, particularly for rejuvenation of people of all ages. Nelavemu is useful in treating liver ailments. Phillanchus is the fastest and sure cure for jaundice. Sonamukhi is an ideal laxative. Vadapatri is used to control diabetes and obesity in Korea and Japan. Gloriosa is used for safe abortion. Colius removes kidney stones and cures other kidney ailments. Vasa strengthens nerves and is prescribed for treating paralysis and for early speech development among kids, Reddy said. He also asked farmers to make use of the Rs 800 crore subsidy granted by the Centre for the cultivation of bio diesel plants such as jatropha in about 20 lakh acres.

Vishnuvardhan Reddy, a senior scientist at ANGRAU, spoke on farming techniques and profitable aspects of aromatic crops such as lemon grass (nimmagaddi), citranella (rusagaddi), vattiveru, menthi (pudina) and kuskus (kasagaddi). He said that if units were set up to extract seed oil from aromatic plants, they would bring more profits for farmers.

Over 600 farmers from the districts of Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari and Easy Godavari attended the seminar. Horticulture department assistant director M Venkateswarlu, deputy director R. Vidyabhushan organised the seminar. Senior assistant AD Chandraprakash inaugurated the session. Industrialist G S Raju and an organic farmer Ch Dutt also took part in the proceedings.