Times Agricultural Journal

Patchouli A world weary of synthetic medicines and perfumes is turning enthusiastically towards organic and natural products. The positive side of this is that it opens up tremendous avenues of growth for the developing countries, which are the main sources of forest produce and natural commodities. On the negative side, valuable wild species are disappearing due to unrestricted collection. Against this background, several agencies are making efforts to promote commercial cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plant varieties. This would give a much-needed fillip to agriculture, as well as save the environment from further depletion.

The volume of global trade in medicinal and aromatic plant products is currently pegged at over US $ 60 billion. This is expected to grow to $ 5 trillion by 2050. Since more than 8,000 plant species of the medicinal varieties alone are native to South Asia, the region has an obvious interest in the systematic development of this trade, without ravaging the environment.

Patchouli Pluses:

- Net annual output between Rs. 45,000 and 100,000 depending on the type of cultivation
- A crop not grazed by cattle n Inter-cropping possible n Guaranteed buy-back
- Foreign-exchange earner

Aromatic plants yield essential oils, gum, balsam or resin in one or more parts: roots, wood, foliage, flower or fruit. Many of these are powerful germicides but inevitably, the bulk is used by the perfumery and allied industries. India’s current volume of foreign trade in perfumery materials and aromatic compounds is worth around Rs 65 million, which accounts for just 1.6 per cent of the world trade. There is clearly room for improvement. In different areas, cultivation of aromatic plants like vetiver, mentha, geranium, lemon grass, rosa damascena, chrysanthemum and citronella is being carried on, some of it on an experimental basis.

The wide range of terrain and climate found in India makes it possible to introduce varieties so far restricted to other tropical areas. With support from biotechnology, new strains suited to Indian conditions could open up fruitful avenues for the Indian farmer

One such avenue was explored at a recent workshop for farmers, organized by the Essential Oils Association of India (EOAI), western region, in Mumbai, with the theme “Cultivation of Aromatic Plants”. G D Kelkar, chairman, S H Kelkar & Co, inaugurated the workshop. The president of the association, Dr G S Ranade, spoke on “The Benefits of Biotechnology in the Cultivation of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants”. The other experts who addressed the gathering were Dr Shankar Narayan and Dr Revati Jadhav.