Medicinal plant products market in state to get a boost

The Rs 150-crore medicinal plant products market in Orissa is likely to get a boost, as the State Medicinal Plants Board (SMPB) has decided to form at least four producers’ companies in various parts of the state to trade the products in an organized manner.

The companies would be formed by the members of the Vana Sarankhyan Samities (VSSs), the main producers of the medicinal plants under 581 (A) of the Companies Act in at least four places of the state-Berhampur, Baripada, Bolangir and Koraput. This would involve around 100 VSS in nine districts.

“It will facilitate to conserve, cultivate, process and marketing of the medicinal plants and their products in an organized manner”, said R P Mallick, member secretary of the SMBP. The producers’ companies would also add value to the products and boost their market through linkage with other pharmaceutical companies, he said.

 

When a company is formed under the Companies Act, the firm would also be easy to get finance from any financial institution to process, market and cultivate the medicinal plants, said divisional forest officer (Berhampur) , A K Jena.

The main producers of the medicinal plant products would get profit from the market of the products, he stated. Most of the producers of the medicinal plant products are getting meagre profits as they could not process the products. Production of ayurvedic drugs is essential for the medicinal plant products.

The role of the SMBP in this process is, however, very limited. The board will guide the companies only to boost the products, Mallick said. Although several other states have already started this new concept to conserve, cultivate, process and market the medicinal plants, it is yet to take shape in Orissa.

The market for medicinal plant products in Orissa is estimated at over Rs 150 crore per annum.

A three-day workshop was held at Gopalpur-on-Sea by the SMPB by involving around 30 VSSs from Ganjam and Kandhamal districts recently to discuss about the new venture of the SMPB.