Exploring Potential for Medicinal Plants Cultivation in Telangana

Abstract

The TSMPB has implemented a scheme with the help of National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) wherein the farmers are encouraged to take up cultivation of medicinal plants in their farm through subsidies. The Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) has promoted collection of medicinal plants from the forest lands by the tribal people and helps in marketing the produces. There are two main issues confronting the medicinal plants production in Telangana state. Firstly, after the bifurcation of the state, the area under medicinal plants in Telangana state is very less. Therefore, there is a need for identifying potential area where different types of medicinal plants can be promoted. Secondly, the constraints pertaining to the medicinal plant cultivation and marketing need to be probed to formulate strategies to make medicinal plant cultivation economically viable for farmers 2 to venture into this enterprise or the existing farmers to expand their area. To address these issues, the study is taken up with the following specific objectives: 1.1 Objectives of the study (1) To characterize the production system of selected medicinal plants in Telangana state; (2) To identify the locations suitable for cultivation of medicinal plants based on soil, and topographic maps and to project supply of different medicinal plants; and (3) To identify the problems faced by medicinal plant cultivators and suggest suitable policy options to promote medicinal plant cultivation in Telangana.