One day farmers’ training program on “Post Harvest Management and Value Addition of Medicinal Plants” sponsored by National Medicinal Plant Board, New Delhi was organized on 28th January, 2021 for the medicinal plants stakeholders. All COVID-19 guidelines were taken care during the training program. At the outset, Dr. G.R. Smitha delivered her lecture on ‘Importance of post harvest management of medicinal plants for improving quality’. She emphasized the raise in demand for immune-boosting medicinal plants during COVID-19 pandemic. She has covered the need and scope for primary processing and post harvest handling of medicinal plants in commercial cultivation to maintain the quality and efficacy. She also covered the post harvest management practices for commercially important medicinal plants. Dr. Lalitha B. R., Professor and Head, PG, Govt. Ayurveda College Bengaluru has given her lecture on ‘Preparation and use of herbal remedies for common ailments’. In her talk she explained in detail about the various herbal remedies for common ailments and how to prepare various value added products from herbal plants and develop it on commercial scale for entrepreneurship.
Dr. Prabhu Mathad, Consultant, Karnataka Medicinal Plants Authority, Bengaluru elaborated the role of National Medicinal Plants Board, New Delhi and KaMPA in creating awareness and promoting the cultivation of medicinal plants in Karnataka. He detailed about the activities of KaMPA like forming cluster groups of medicinal plant farmers, conducting buyer-seller meet, formation of cooperatives and societies for the dissemination of information related to medicinal crops. He also explained about the different schemes like Ashoka setu, Bhruhat panchamoola, intensive cropping etc. and the subsidies available for cultivation, nursery, post harvest management of medicinal crops. Post lunch the trainees were taken for field visit to demonstration block no. 3 and various medicinal plants varieties released by ICAR-IIHR were shown by Dr. M.R. Rohini. The participants were also shown the herbal garden of various medicinal plants along with its characteristics and uses.
In the valedictory session, Dr. C. Aswath, Head, Division of Flowers and Medicinal Crops in his address explained that we have to search for diversified value added products and marketing channels for medicinal plants. He also emphasized the need for production of rooted medicinal plants in bioreactors. Dr. M.R. Dinesh, Director, ICAR-IIHR emphasized the importance of medicinal plants in the present scenario when both the farming community as well as urban and peri-urban people have shown a great interest in cultivating and using them for their primary health needs. He opined that there is an urgent need for market expansion of medicinal crops to prioritize crops which have high value and can earn more revenue. He proposed the promotion of entrepreneurship opportunities in medicinal plants with the help of incubation centre at ICAR-IIHR.
Around forty five trainees from eleven districts of Karnataka participated in the training program. The trainees were given training materials like medicinal plant extension folders and publications of ICAR-IIHR. The trainees expressed their satisfaction for organizing the training program which is the need of the hour. The queries of the participants related to region wise training program, planting material, marketing, subsidies etc. were attended by the resource persons. The programme ended with the distribution of certificates to the participants.
