Emulate Uttaranchal's success in medicinal, aromatic plan: Apang

Itanagar, May 24 (UNI) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang has urged the state forest officials to emulate the success story of Uttaranchal to boost the state's medicinal and aromatic plants sector.

''With proper encouragement and training to farmers in medicinal plants cultivation, a profitable venture could replace jhuming cultivation'', Apang said during a day-long seminar on medicinal and aromatic plants here yesterday.

The chief minister advocated for gearing up training activities in orchid cultivation, medicinal plants to encourage people to take up its commercial cultivation.

Dehradun based Uttaranchal Forest Development Corporation (UFDC) regional manager Dr. Sukhdev Singh gave a presentation on ''collection and marketing of medicinal plants in Uttaranchal to share Uttaranchal's success story and its expertise in the medicinal and aromatic plants sector.

Dr. Singh, who is also the nodal officer for medicinal plants and bio-fuel in Uttaranchal, said the sector has huge potential because of increasing demands for herbal medicines.

Dwelling on the strategy on development, better exploitation and conservation of its medicinal plants, he informed that steps have been taken for regulated marketing, training of the stake holders, collectors and cultivators for survey and study.

Community based management of forest is also encouraged, he said, while adding that over exploitation need to be avoided for sustainability.

He also briefed about the cultivation of Jatropha for poverty alleviation, easy availability of energy, and eco-forestration in Uttaranchal, which was launched in 2004.

State prinicipal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) M.B.Lal stressed that the rich herbal resources of the state must be tapped for boosting rural economy.

Emphasizing on the need for an effective strategy to encourage the highly potential sector, the PCCF also called for funding support from the Centre. Infrastructural problems, poor connectivity and lack of marketing linkages were the main hindrances, he pointed out and stressed on community participation for exploiting the sector.

The seminar was organized by the State Medicinal Plants Board and sponsored by Arunachal Pradesh Forest Corporation Limited (APFCL).

With both the states rich in forest based resources and large forest coverage, the purpose was to share strategic issues for management and marketing of medicinal and aromatic plants in Arunachal.

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