Srinagar, Jul 13: The Jammu & Kashmir government is planning a ₹150 crore mission to promote commercial cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs), with an aim to transform the Union Territory into a hub for high-value Himalayan medicinal plants while creating new income opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs.
The proposal was reviewed on Monday by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo during a meeting convened to assess the roadmap prepared by the Agriculture Production Department (APD) for developing the sector.
According to officials, the proposed six-year mission seeks to build an integrated ecosystem covering conservation, scientific cultivation, quality planting material, research, processing, value addition, branding, marketing and exports of medicinal and aromatic plants.
The roadmap envisages expanding MAP cultivation to more than 1,700 hectares, supporting 80 start-ups and 25 export-oriented enterprises, and directly benefiting over 5,000 farmers and entrepreneurs while generating substantial employment across the value chain.
During the meeting, Dulloo said Jammu & Kashmir’s rich biodiversity, favourable climate and abundance of high-value medicinal plant species provide a strong foundation for developing a globally competitive medicinal plant economy. He said the sector has significant potential to diversify agriculture, enhance farmers’ incomes, generate rural employment and strengthen the Union Territory’s bio-economy.
The Chief Secretary directed the Agriculture Production Department to implement the roadmap with defined timelines and measurable outcomes, while working in close coordination with the Forest Department, AYUSH, research institutions and the private sector to establish a complete value chain from cultivation to global markets.
He also stressed the need to attract private investment in cultivation, processing and value addition, adopt cluster-based cultivation models and strengthen market linkages to ensure better returns for growers.
Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Dr Ashish Chandra Verma, informed the meeting that despite possessing one of the richest repositories of Himalayan medicinal plants, Jammu & Kashmir’s contribution to the national MAP sector remains below its potential due to limited organised cultivation, inadequate processing infrastructure, dependence on wild collection, fragmented marketing systems and limited industry participation.
Managing Director, Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), Dr Sagar Doifode Dattatray, said the proposed mission comprises six major intervention areas, including conservation and cultivation, processing infrastructure, branding and marketing, research and development, monitoring and evaluation, and capacity building.
Officials said the roadmap proposes geo-spatial mapping of MAP-rich zones across the Union Territory, restoration of 1,500 hectares of degraded forest ecosystems, establishment of 51 specialised nurseries, expansion of cultivation outside forest areas, strengthening of 225 Biodiversity Management Committees, and financial assistance for 500 farmers to obtain Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) and organic certification.
The government also plans to establish six primary processing centres in the private sector and two advanced extraction units to improve processing capacity, reduce post-harvest losses and facilitate production of high-value herbal extracts and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
The meeting was informed that around 40 per cent of the project cost has been earmarked for branding and marketing initiatives, including establishment of two FPO/MFP Parks, two mega MAP clusters under the Public-Private Partnership mode, two model MAP villages, an Export Promotion Cell, a dedicated digital marketing platform and a Herbal Innovation Fund to support 80 start-ups.
The roadmap further proposes development of scientifically validated cultivation technologies, standardisation of 40 packages of practices, screening of 40 medicinal plant species for active pharmaceutical ingredients, commercialisation of 40 APIs, filing of nine patents and conservation of nearly 165 medicinal plant species through collaborative research involving SKUAST-Jammu, SKUAST-Kashmir and CSIR-IIIM Jammu.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Vice Chancellors of SKUAST-Kashmir and SKUAST-Jammu, Commissioner Secretary, Forests, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Managing Director, HADP, Directors of Agriculture, representatives of CSIR-IIIM Jammu and other senior officials.
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