The India government has announced a Rs 4,000-crore plan to
promote herbal cultivation in the country which is expected to resolve the
acute raw-material shortage faced by the AYUSH sector.

Under the scheme, announced by Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman, medicinal plants will be cultivated across the banks of river Ganga
(nearly 800 hectare). Herbal corridors spanning across 10 lakh hectares will be
set up in the next two years.

The plan will be implemented by the National Medicinal Plants
Board (NMPB), which has already brought 2.25 lakh hectares under medicinal
plants.

The project also envisages setting up a network of regional
mandis (markets) for medicinal plants to help farmers sell their produce and ensure
availability of quality raw-materials for traditional medicinal systems like
Ayurveda.

The scheme is expected to generate income of Rs 5,000 crore
for farmers.

The Finance minister also announced a Rs 500-crore project to
ensure availability of high-quality honey. Under the initiative, the government
will focus on creating infrastructure for integrated beekeeping centres and
post-harvest facilities.

“This will lead to increase in income for two lakh beekeepers
and ensure quality honey for consumers,” Anurag Thakur, Minister of State for
Finance, said while referring to renewed interest of researchers on medicinal
plants in their efforts to find solutions to deal with Covid-19.

The NMPB has already implemented a national campaign titled
’20 Medicinal Plants for 2020’ to augment cultivation of 20 medicinal plants such
as Ghritkumari, Satawari, Brahmi, Punarnava, Mandookparni, Hutjodi, Lemon
grass, Gudhal, Adusa/vasa, Mehandi, Lajwanti, Sahjan, Karipatta, Tulsi, Amla,
Patta Ajwayan, Giloe, Neergundi, Ashwagandha and Adrak.