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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AYUSH
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED ADMITTED QUESTION NO. 4752
TO BE ANSWERED ON 20/03/2026
Promotion of Desert Medicinal Plants
4752. Shri Ummeda Ram Beniwal:
Will the Minister of Ayush be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government proposes to promote desert medicinal plants such as Guggul
(Commiphora wightii) and Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadens is miller) through AYUSH-
based value chain development and cultivation initiatives;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the schemes or programmes launched or being
implemented for the cultivation, conservation, processing, marketing and export
promotion of such medicinal plants including the financial assistance and technical
support provided to farmers; and
(c) whether similar promotional and value chain development efforts are being
undertaken in other arid and semi-arid States of the Country and if so, the details
thereof, State/UT-wise?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYUSH
(SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) Yes, National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of Ayush promotes the
desert medicinal plants such as Guggul (Commiphora wightii (Arn.) Bhandari) and
Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) through AYUSH-based value chain development
and cultivation initiatives through its Regional-cum-Facilitation Centres (RCFCs) in
different geographical regions across the country by providing Quality Planting
Material (QPM) to the farmers for cultivation initiative including training programson GAP & value addition of these medicinal plants. Further, NMPB under its “Central
Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of
Medicinal Plants” have provided project based support to State Forest Departments in
desert, arid and semi-arid states like Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and
Rajasthan for in-situ conservation of medicinal plants in their natural habitats by way
of establishing Medicinal Plants Conservation and Development Areas (MPCDAs),
Resource Augmentation/ Plantation of medicinal plants species in forest areas through
in-situ resource augmentation. The financial assistance to State Forest Department in
this regard is provided as per the cost norms of the Scheme guidelines provisions.
(b) National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India is
implementing Central Sector Scheme on “Conservation, Development and
Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants” throughout the country to promote the
cultivation of medicinal plants wherein following activities are supported:
(i) Information Education & Communication (IEC) activities like Training /
Workshops / Seminars/ Conferences etc.
(ii) Forward and backward linkage in supply chain of medicinal plants (Integrated
Component).
(iii) In-situ conservation / Ex-situ conservation.
(iv) Livelihood linkages with Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) /
Panchayats / Van Panchayats / Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) /
Self Help Groups (SHGs).
(v) Research & Development.
(vi) Promotion, marketing and trade of medicinal plants produce.
In addition, to provide a platform for trade of Medicinal Plants & easy market access, NMPB
has launched “e-CHARAK” mobile application as well as web portal for promotion and
marketing of medicinal plants/herbs. 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.(c) 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.
Till date, National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of Ayush has approved total 15 project
proposals to the different states including Rajasthan and Gujarat 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 cover approximately 2000
hectare area under cultivation of medicinal plants by providing the Quality Planting Material
to the farmers. Details are given at Annexure-1.
Further, NMPB also support Information Education & Communication (IEC) activities like
Training / Workshops / Seminars/ Conferences etc. under this scheme and has supported 138
projects for organizing training program/seminars/workshops for promotion of cultivation of
medicinal plants throughout the country during the financial year 2020-21 to 2024-25, for an
amount of Rs.1171.94 Lakh. The details are given at Annexure-2.Annexure- 1
Details of projects approved under Integrated Component of Central Sector Scheme for
Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants
S.No Financial Year State Total approved amount (In lakh)
1 2023-24 Andhra Pradesh 120.00
2 2023-24 Jammu & Kashmir 82.50
3 2023-24 Mizoram 120.00
4 2023-24 Uttarakhand 120.00
5 2024-25 Karnataka 120.00
6 2024-25 Tamil Nadu 95.00
7 2024-25 Kerala 120.00
8. 2024-25 Madhya Pradesh 119.95
9. 2024-25 Gujarat 120.00
10. 2025-26 Rajasthan 120.00
11. 2025-26 Rajasthan 120.00
12. 2025-26 Uttar Pradesh 120.00
13. 2025-26 Uttar Pradesh 100.00
14. 2025-26 Gujarat 120.00
15. 2025-26 Haryana 120.00Annexure-2
The details of projects [Information Education & Communication (IEC)] sanctioned
under the Central Sector Scheme for Conservation, Development and Sustainable
Management of Medicinal Plants in the country during the last five years, State/UT-wise
S. State/UT Financial Year No of Amount
No. Project sanctioned
2020- 2021- 2022- 2023- 2024-
sanctioned (Rs. In
21 22 23 24 25
Lakhs)
1. Andhra Pradesh 01 01 01 0 02 05 42.00
2. Arunachal 0 0 01 0 0 01 14.2
Pradesh
3. Assam 01 02 03 02 0 08 151.14
4. Chandigarh 0 0 0 0 01 01 5.00
5. Chhattisgarh 0 0 01 0 00 01 29.50
6. Delhi 02 05 06 01 03 17 151.53
7. Gujarat 0 0 0 01 01 02 22.00
8. Haryana 01 0 01 01 01 04 14.00
9. Himachal Pradesh 0 0 0 01 01 02 26.57
10. Jammu & 0 0 0 04 0 04 36.91
Kashmir
11. Jharkhand 0 0 03 0 0 03 11.80
12. Karnataka 0 03 02 0 03 08 114.87
13. Kerala 01 0 02 02 0 05 25.50
14. Ladakh 0 0 02 0 01 03 15.00
15. Madhya Pradesh 0 04 03 0 01 08 72.40
16. Maharashtra 02 0 02 01 01 06 58.62
17. Manipur 0 0 01 0 0 01 10.00
18. Meghalaya 0 0 0 0 01 01 2.00
19. Mizoram 0 0 01 0 0 01 5.00
20. Odisha 03 03 01 02 0 09 23.25
21. Punjab 01 01 01 02 0 05 35.00
22. Rajasthan 01 0 0 01 03 05 29.85
23. Tamil Nadu 0 03 09 04 05 21 98.85
24. Telangana 0 0 0 01 0 01 10.00
25. Uttar Pradesh 0 02 01 03 0 06 72.80
26. Uttarakhand 0 0 01 03 0 04 30.00
27. West Bengal 01 01 03 0 01 06 64.15
Total 14 25 45 29 25 138 1171.94