Kozhikode, Nov 07: Nandan Agro Farms, the Andhra
Pradesh-based medicinal plants consulting company, has drawn
up ambitious plans to promote the cultivation of 'safed musli'
and other valuable herbs across the country.
"Though China and India have an equal 30 per cent of
plant resources, the former earns foreign exchange of over Rs 22,000 crores annually through cultivation and value-addition
of medicinal and aromatic plants (Maps) while our country's
earnings are a mere Rs 500 crores," Nandan's director, B
Jayakumar, told a press conference.
He said India has immense potential in Maps production,
which could be tapped through concerted effort.
"With the strengths of agro climatic conditions and
abundant knowledge of traditional system of medicines, we can
compete well in the global herbal market," Jayakumar said.
Nandan Agro Farms had successfully tried high-profitable
cultivation of 'safed musli' (chlorophytum borivilianum), a
small tuberous herb that served present day health problems.
"Given the growing global demand for such herbs,
particularly in the USA and Japan, it was quite regrettable
that we were not in a position to meet the export
requirements."
Nandan has identified potential herbal solutions to a
number of ailments that arise from urban lifestle, Jayakumar
said.
" For stress 'aswagandha', 'tinospora cordifolia' for
immunomodulation, 'garcinia indica' for obesity and
'chlorophytum borivilianum' for impotency were some of the
herbs identified for cultivation by the company, he said.
The company has set up a research and resource centre for
medicinal plants at Zaheerabad to promote cultivation of these
medicinal plants.
The national medicinal plant board has identified 32
herbs for exports; Nandan, in coordination with Herbz India,
is promoting their cultivation in rural areas of Chandigarh,
Madurai, Cuttack and Gujarat besides Andhra Pradesh.
Bureau Report
