Malkangiri ideal for medicinal plant cultivation-Expert

Bhubaneswar, Jun 09 (UNI) Nearly 3000 tribal families in Malkangiri district in Orissa will be soon trained in cultivation, processing and marketing of medicinal plants with specific therapeutic potential and high market value.

Noted Bio technologist Dr Santosh Kar, who was here to attend the two day national workshop on Medicinal plant cultivation for primary health care, told newsmen that Malkangiri, a tribal dominated district in Orissa, has been chosen as the land that has not been affected by the green revolution.

He said the tribals in the district would be motivated for sustainable collection and harvesting of medicinal plants already growing in the area.

The soil of Malkangiri has not been spoiled by use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizer and remained so far organic, an ideal for cultivation of medicinal plants.

Dr Kar said as a pilot project,to be undertaken by Tapobhumi Trust, a cooperative of 3000 families or the Self Helf Groups(SHG) would be involved in the project so that the tribal women,neglected would become financially stringer and develop products for their own primary health centre.

He said the two day national workshop beginning here tomorrow.

would identify the medicinal plants with therapeutic potential and commercial value which were native to Malkangiri.

Dr Kar said the identified medicinal plants would be soon characterised by their DNA and chemical finger printing followed by creation of a nursery to encourage the tribals for cultivation of medicinal plants and extraction of their active components for marketing.

He said soon other parts of the state,mostly the Western orissa would be selected to cultivate the medicinal plants already identified by the scientists.

Topobhumi Trust Chief Chittaranjan said in the first year 10 medicinal plants would be identified for cultivation involving nearly 1000 tribal families over an area of 1500 acres and later the project would be expanded to another 2000 acres with involvement of 2000 more tribal families.

The trust, he said, would help in establishing facility for standardisation of medicinal plant components and authentication of their bio activity for value addition.

UNI DP BA AB 2238