**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Ayush and the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) are implementing various schemes to boost the conservation, cultivation, and marketing of medicinal plants across India. This report highlights the financial support provided under the Central Sector Scheme and the National Ayush Mission (NAM), alongside the launch of the "e-CHARAK" platform for market transparency. Notable recent actions include the approval of supply chain projects for the 2024-25 financial year to improve farmer linkages and post-harvest infrastructure.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Conservation and Management Schemes**
* The NMPB implements the “Central Sector Scheme for Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants” nationwide.
* Activities include in-situ and ex-situ conservation, development of herbal gardens, and resource augmentation of rare and endangered species.
* Project-based support is provided for Research & Development and Information Education Communication (IEC) activities like training and seminars.
* **Farmer Linkages and Infrastructure**
* A specific project for "Forward and backward linkage" in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, was approved for FY 2024-25 with a budget of Rs. 119.95 lakh.
* Funding is directed toward raising quality planting material (QPM) for distribution to farmers.
* Support is provided for establishing infrastructure for post-harvest management, value addition, drying, and warehousing.
* **Digital Trade and Transparency**
* The "e-CHARAK" mobile application and web portal enable information exchange and market access for stakeholders.
* The platform supports local languages and provides fortnightly market prices for 100 medicinal plants from 25 herbal markets.
* As of the report date, the platform has over 11,000 registered users and has facilitated over 7 million buyer-seller interactions.
* **Financial and Physical Progress**
* Under the National Ayush Mission (NAM), Rs. 15.85 crore was released between FY 2015-16 and 2020-21 to support cultivation across 12,551 hectares in Madhya Pradesh.
* Nationally, 498 new projects have been sanctioned over the last five years, with total funds released amounting to Rs. 16,505.5 lakh.
* Fifteen project proposals approved since FY 2023-24 aim to cover 2,000 hectares under cultivation by providing QPM to farmers.
**Impact Analysis**
**Farmers**
**Impact:** Farmers benefit from increased income, price transparency through e-CHARAK, and access to high-quality planting materials and post-harvest infrastructure.
**Action Required:** Utilize the e-CHARAK app for market updates and participate in project-based cultivation to access government-raised planting materials.
**State Forest Departments and Local Committees (JFMCs/SHGs/BMCs)**
**Impact:** These entities receive project-based support for resource augmentation and the creation of local clusters for value addition, which generates livelihoods for forest-fringe communities.
**Action Required:** Implement sanctioned projects for in-situ/ex-situ conservation and manage the infrastructure provided for drying and warehousing.
**National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) / Ministry of Ayush**
**Impact:** These bodies act as the primary facilitators for policy implementation, funding distribution, and national-level monitoring of medicinal plant resources.
**Action Required:** Continue monitoring the 15 newly approved projects under the Integrated Component and manage the disbursement of funds to various State Medicinal Plants Boards.
Key Entities Referenced
National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB): The primary implementing body under the Ministry of Ayush responsible for medicinal plant conservation, supply chain projects, and market linkages.
Central Sector Scheme for Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants: The core policy framework providing project-based support for in-situ/ex-situ conservation, herbal gardens, and livelihood linkages.
National Ayush Mission (NAM): A centrally sponsored scheme implemented for the cultivation of medicinal plants and establishment of post-harvest management units.
e-CHARAK: A mobile application and web portal launched to ensure price transparency and facilitate the trade of medicinal plants for farmers.
Ministry of Ayush: The nodal ministry of the Government of India overseeing the various schemes and initiatives for the medicinal plant sector.
AYUSH
Cultivation and Conservation of Medicinal Plants
Government Boosts Medicinal Plant Conservation and
Farmer Linkages
Posted On: 20 MAR 2026 5:45PM by PIB Delhi
The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of Ayush is presently implementing “Central
Sector Scheme for Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants”
throughout the country including Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Under the scheme, the
project-based support is provided for following activities:
i. In-situ conservation through development of Medicinal Plants Conservation and Development
Areas (MPCDAs).
ii. In-situ/Ex-situ resource augmentation.
iii. Ex-situ conservation through establishment of herbal gardens.
iv. Livelihood linkages with Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) / Panchayats / Van
Panchayats / Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) / Self Help Groups (SHGs).
v. IEC activities like Training / workshops / Seminars/ Conferences etc.
vi. Research & Development.
vii. Promotion of marketing and trade of medicinal plants produce.
viii. Forward and backward linkage in supply chain of medicinal plants.
The details of projects sanctioned and funds released under the Central Sector Scheme on Conservation,
Development and Sustainable management of Medicinal Plants during the last five years, state wise at
Annexure I.
(b) The Ministry of Ayush, Government of India had implemented Centrally Sponsored Scheme of
National Ayush Mission (NAM) for cultivation of medicinal plants from the financial year 2015-16 to
2020-21 throughout the country including Madhya Pradesh. Till date, Ministry of Ayush had released as a
central share an amount of Rs. 15.85 Crore and supported 12,551 hectare area under cultivation of
medicinal plants, in Madhya Pradesh under medicinal plants component of National Ayush Mission
(NAM) from the financial year 2015-16 to 2020-21. The detail is given at Annexure-II.
Besides this, National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of Ayush has approved a project entitled
“Forward and backward linkage in supply chain of medicinal plants at Khandwa district in MP” to
the State Medicinal Plants Board, Madhya Pradesh for an amount of Rs. 119.95 lakh during the F.Y. 2024-
25 under Integrated Component to raise the planting material for distribution to the farmers for medicinal
plants cultivation and establishment of infrastructure for Post-Harvest Management and Marketing.(c) NMPB, under its “Central Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable
Management of Medicinal Plants” is providing project based support for the conservation of rare and
endangered of medicinal plants to State Forest Departments including State of Gujarat for Resource
Augmentation/ Plantation of medicinal plants in forest areas through in-situ resource augmentation,
plantation outside designated forest areas through ex-situ resource augmentation and Support to
(JFMCs)/Panchayats/ Van Panchayat/SHGs/BMCs etc. for setting of local cluster for value addition,
drying, warehousing and augmenting marketing infrastructure etc. and generate livelihood to these forest
fringe communities. During the last five (5) years, the NMPB has supported a project entitled “in-situ
Resource Augmentation of medicinal plants in Kutch Circle, to Gujarat.
(d) To ensure price transparency and increase the income of the farmers, NMPB has launched “e-
CHARAK” mobile application as well as web portal for the promotion and marketing of medicinal
plants/herbs for trade of Medicinal Plants & easy market access, The “e-CHARAK” is a platform to
enable information exchange between various stakeholders mainly farmers involved in the medicinal
plants sector across the country. The “e-CHARAK” application supports different local languages and it
also provides fortnightly market price of 100 MPs from 25 herbal markets across India.
Currently, e-Charak mobile has Registered users-11,119; Total visitors-30565540; Posted items-7,588;
Buyer Sellers Interactions-7114690.
e. The cultivation activities are not supported under the Central Sector Scheme. However, NMPB,
Ministry of Ayush has supported projects under Forward and Backward Linkage in Supply Chain of
Medicinal Plants (Integrated Component) of existing Central Sector Scheme from the F.Y. 2023-24,
wherein project based support is provided for Infrastructure for Quality Planting Material to raise
the planting material of medicinal plants for cultivation, Information Education Communication
(IEC) activities to aware the farmers, Infrastructure for Post-Harvest Management and Marketing to
increase the marketability of the medicinal plants, adding value to the produce, increasing
profitability and reducing losses, Quality Testing and Certification of raw material.
NMPB has approved total 15 project proposals to the different organization under Forward and Backward
Linkages in supply chain of Medicinal Plants (Integrated Component) of Central Sector Scheme of NMPB
from the Financial Year 2023 -24 to till date to cover approximately 2000 hectare area under cultivation of
medicinal plants by providing the QPM to the farmers.Annexure-1
The details of new projects sanctioned and total funds released ( new as well as old projects) under
the Central Sector Scheme in the country during the last five years, State/UT-wise including Jammu
and Kashmir, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
S. No. State No. of new projects Total fund released to the state for new as well as
sanctioned old projects during last 5 years (Amount in lakh)
1. Andaman & 1 24.50
Nicobar
2. Andhra Pradesh 16 466.78
3. Arunachal 5 79.67
Pradesh
4. Assam 24 1063.005. Bihar 2 43.09
6. Chandigarh 3 58.32
7. Chhattisgarh 5 158.25
8. Delhi 39 1116.84
9. Goa 1 47.24
10. Gujarat 14 1348.02
11. Haryana 16 515.72
12. Himachal 20 730.12
Pradesh
13. Jammu & 14 679.40
Kashmir
14. Jharkhand 6 14.20
15. Karnataka 32 1585.04
16. Kerala 31 1379.74
17. Ladakh 4 91.75
18. Lakshdweep 0 26.17
19. Madhya 27 594.03
Pradesh
20. Maharashtra 25 828.99
21. Manipur 8 141.94
22. Meghalaya 2 31.15
23. Mizoram 7 325.77
24. Nagaland 3 97.93
25. Odisha 20 150.2826. Punjab 13 195.48
27. Puducherry 4 96.75
28. Rajasthan 12 224.26
29. Sikkim 3 520.22
30. Tamil Nadu 51 687.31
31. Telangana 14 544.47
32. Tripura 1 0
33. Uttar Pradesh 38 1096.64
34. Uttarakhand 26 700.21
35. West Bengal 11 842.22
Total 498 16505.5
Annexure-II
The detail of activities approved in Madhya Pradesh under Medicinal Plants Component of
National Ayush Mission (NAM) scheme from the financial year 2015-16 to 2020-21.
S. Activities 2015- 2016- 2017- 2018- 2019- 2020- Total
16 17 18 19 20 21
No.
1 Area covered under cultivation 1681 2518 2030 1262 790 4270 12551
of medicinal plants (Area in
hectare)
2 No. of Post-Harvest 0 0 14 0 40 9 63
Management units (in numbers)
3 Rural Collection Centre (in 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
numbers)
4. Fund released (Central Share) 2.76 2.98 2.70 2.01 3.10 2.30 15.85
(Rs. in Crore)
This information was given by the Minister of State (IC) for Ayush Shri Pratap Rao Jadhav in a
written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 20th MARCH 2026.***
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