Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 6: Stating that medicinal plants wealth of Jammu and Kashmir largely remained untapped till date, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad today stressed the need to harness this natural bounty to generate employment opportunities for the unemployed youth of the State.
“All the three regions of the State have large number of medicinal and aromatic plant species and if much needed focus is laid on tapping this wealth it can become source of good employment for unemployed youth”, he said while presiding over the Stake Holders Meet for the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants in the State organized by the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) at its campus at Canal Road here this morning.
Disclosing that there are around 3000 medicinal and aromatic plant species in Kashmir valley, 880 in Jammu region and 500 in Ladakh, the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister said, “even the Planning Commission of India is laying stress on making full use of medicinal plants, which according to the Commission is the most viable option available to check unemployment up to large extent”.
As the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu has been carrying out various activities including identification of plants species, certification of planting material, developing of marketing linkages and modern processing technologies, the unemployed youth must be encouraged to come forward to tap this wealth of the State on commercial scale, which in turn could accrue abundant benefits, Mr Azad said.
“At present, India is number 2 exporter so far as traditional medicinal products are concerned and we can grab the number one position by fully tapping this wealth, which is available in abundant”, the Union Minister said and asked the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine to educate the unemployed youth about tapping this wealth by conducting programmes at district or block level.
Realizing the growing importance of medicinal plants world-over, a strategy has to be formulated to harness this wealth of Jammu and Kashmir where the same has largely remained untapped till date, he said and also laid stress on research, which according to him, is imperative keeping in view global requirement.
Assuring all help from the AYUSH Department and Medicinal Plant Board in tapping this wealth of the State, Mr Azad said, “we will try to bring teams of AYUSH Department, Medicinal Plant Board besides that of Science and Technology Department to explore the possibility of growing medicinal plants for which there are good climatic conditions”.
“Since transportation is a major problem in Jammu and Kashmir, there is a need to set up extraction units in different areas, which would also encourage the people to opt for this source of income”, the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister said.
Earlier, Dr Ram Vishwakarma, Director of the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu made a presentation on the possibilities of increasing employment and revenue by cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants.
“A unique project has been conceived by the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine for collaboration with the stakeholders at 22 places for the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants, which are endemic in Jammu and Kashmir”, he said, adding “the farmers in J&K have serious locational disadvantages and normally get low remunerative price for their product and labour as such IIM is intending to provide an end to end package from production through processing to marketing so that with the buyback arrangement they get the best price for their production”.
On the occasion, Phalsa products developed in Jammu on local wasteland were released by the Union Health Minister. Dr Ashok Vaid, renowned Oncologist was among others who spoke on the occasion.
The vote of thanks was presented by Dr R K Raina, Chief Scientist, IIM, Jammu.
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