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.
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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
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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.
