Advocates industrial perspective in agriculture promotes medicinal plants cultivation

AWANTIPORA: SKUAST-Kashmir’s KVK-ETC Malangpora hosted a one-day stakeholders meet cum workshop titled “Opportunities in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants for Entrepreneurship Development in Kashmir Valley” at the Auditorium of KVK Malangpora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday.
The workshop was conducted in collaboration with the Regional cum Facilitation Centre Northern Region-II, National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of Ayush, GoI, the workshop aimed to familiarize participants with the diverse facets of medicinal plants, ranging from large-scale commercial cultivation and harvesting to sophisticated scientific methods of processing and value addition, aimed at boosting their demand in the international market.
The programme was chaired by Director Extension, SKUAST-Kashmir, Prof. Dil Mohammad Makhdoomi, the event saw the presence of key figures including Dr Sheikh Bilal Ahmad, Director RCFCNR-II, Showkat Ahmad Rather, Additional District Development Commissioner Pulwama, Mohammad Munaf, Manager Seed Farm Padgampora, District Nodal Officer Ayush, Pulwama, Professor and head KVK Malangpora, Dr Javaid Ahmad Mugloo, scientists from KVK and officers from Agriculture/Horticulture, alongside more than 150 farmers from various areas of the district, officials told Kashmir Reader.
Dr Javaid Ahmad Mugloo inaugurated the programme with a welcome address, shedding light on the status of medicinal plants in the valley and their crucial role in disease prevention and treatment.
Prof Dil Mohammad Makhdoomi delivered an insightful talk on the spectrum of entrepreneurship opportunities within the medicinal plants sector, emphasizing the need to empower interested farmers to recognize their entrepreneurial potential.
Showkat Ahmad Rather urged participants to embrace scientific methods for the cultivation and conservation of high medicinal value plants to align with market trends.
Mohammad Munaf elucidated the various schemes available under HADP for the cultivation of medicinal plants.
Prof Sheikh Bilal Ahmad, Regional Director, Regional cum facilitation centre, North region-II, presented a detailed overview of different medicinal plants and their value addition prospects.
The Head of KVK Malangpora Javaid Ahmad Mugloo and their team of scientists were honored with an award of appreciation from the Regional Cum Facilitation Centre Northern Region-II for their exemplary work in the field of extension.
This collaborative effort signifies a step forward in harnessing the entrepreneurial potential within the medicinal plants sector, aiming to bolster economic opportunities and sustainable development in the Kashmir Valley.
Speaking to Kashmir Reader, Prof Makhdoomi highlighted the shift in perspective towards agriculture, stating that it is no longer merely agriculture but is now viewed as an industry. He likened landlords to farm managers and orchard owners to industrial setup managers, emphasizing the transformation in how agriculture is perceived. This perspective was reflected in the promotion of medicinal and aromatic plants at KVK Malangpora, aligning with the industrial approach towards agriculture.
He added, “Now, if we look at Kashmir, the landholding of landlords has significantly reduced over time. With the emergence of the nuclear family concept, land divisions have become common. Alongside land division, there is also the issue of land fragmentation. We are no longer talking about acres of land; instead, we are considering the concept of land parcels. Now, if a person owns some land parcels, it’s apparent that they may cultivate rice, but there won’t be much profit in that. With such small land parcels, establishing an orchard becomes unfeasible. Now, regarding the security we have in agriculture, we need to perceive it in a certain way. Firstly, we look at food security; secondly, economic security – having enough money to lead a good life; and thirdly, nutritional security – having access to food that provides essential nutrients, such as iron and B-complex for pregnant women and nutritious food for young women containing tonics and vitamins.”
“Similarly, there is a domain that we observe, which is quite progressive and holds potential, that is medical and ornamental plants. This area is so vast that it remains largely unexplored. To the extent that many people have started to rely on allopathy for various ailments; for instance, if someone has a headache, they immediately resort to taking paracetamol, even though there are many medicinal plants available nearby that they could benefit from, as people used to do in the past.”
Currently, over three thousand species of medicinal and aromatic plants have been identified in Kashmir, with a focus on developing a package of practices for these plants, he said, adding that training programs will be provided by SKUAST-Kashmir and Krishi Vigyan Kendras to encourage farmers to grow these niche plants, which have immense potential.
Additionally, efforts will be made to link farmers with marketing companies that manufacture medicines from such plants, facilitating economic growth and development in the region, Prof Makhdoomi added.

BILAL HABIB