Srinagar, Aug 07 (KNO): Ladakh has significant potential for cultivation of high-altitude medicinal plants such as Seabuckthorn, Rhodiola, Artemisia and Aconitum, the Union Ministry of Ayush informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.
As per the reply by Minister of Statefor Ayush Prataprao Jadhav to a question by Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa, the government has taken cognisance of the region’s potential and the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) is implementing a Central Sector Scheme for conservation, development and sustainable management of medicinal plants.
The ministry, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said the scheme supports quality planting material, farmer awareness, post-harvest management and marketing, value addition, and quality testing and certification of medicinal plant raw material.
It said NMPB has also launched the e-CHARAK mobile application and web portal for promotion and marketing of medicinal plants and herbs. The application provides fortnightly market prices of 100 medicinal plants from 25 herbal markets across India, including Ladakh, and facilitates market linkages for farmers and collectors.
Haneefa also sought details of projects sanctioned in Leh and Kargil under the National Medicinal Plants Board and National AYUSH Mission (NAM) during the last five years, including funds sanctioned, released and utilised.
In response, Jadhav said the Ministry of Ayush had released Rs 705.11 lakh during the last five years for implementation of various approved activities and projects under NAM in Ladakh, of which Rs 534.24 lakh had been utilised, as reported by the UT Government.
The ministry clarified that there is no provision for release of district-wise funds under NAM.
Haneefa further asked whether the government had assessed the commercial potential and constraints related to cultivation, certification, processing, transportation and market access for medicinal plants in Ladakh.
Jadhav replied that the State Medicinal Plant Board (SMPB), UT Ladakh, had assessed the opportunities and constraints in the medicinal plant sector. He said capacity-building programmes are being undertaken to address the constraints and promote sustainable cultivation and commercialisation.
He further said the Regional-cum-Facilitation Centre NR-II has consistently supported the establishment of post-harvest processing and quality-testing infrastructure in Ladakh to promote sustainable cultivation and generate local employment.
The MP also asked whether the government proposed to establish processing centres, quality-testing laboratories, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and assured market linkages in Ladakh, and whether any timeline had been fixed.
In reply, Jadhav said the NMPB Central Sector Scheme provides project-based support for livelihood linkages, training, workshops, research and development, promotion of marketing and trade of medicinal plant produce, and forward and backward linkages in the supply chain.
The ministry further informed that a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Seabuckthorn has been established at Nimoo, Leh, with financial assistance of Rs 789.33 lakh under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).
The project was initiated during 2020-21 and is being implemented by the Department of Horticulture, UT Ladakh, with technical support from DRDO’s Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research (DIHAR), Leh.
The centre comprises a scientific orchard, model nursery, demonstration and training facilities, a primary processing unit and capacity-building programmes for farmers, FPOs, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), women and entrepreneurs.
According to the annexure, seven projects were approved under the NMPB Central Sector Scheme during the last five years.
These include a Rs 5 lakh national-level conference on identification and conservation of medicinal plants and flora of Ladakh at the Biodiversity Research Centre, Kargil Campus, University of Ladakh, in 2022-23; and a Rs 5 lakh national seminar on Himalayan medicinal plants at Elizer Joldan Memorial College, Leh, during the same year.
In 2024-25, Rs 1.35 lakh was sanctioned for establishment of a herbal garden at the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Choglamsar, Leh, of which Rs 0.75 lakh was released.
A project on conservation status, germplasm collection and resource augmentation of priority medicinal plants in the cold deserts of Ladakh received Rs 13.48 lakh, with Rs 13.48 lakh released and Rs 13.46 lakh utilised.
Another Rs 5 lakh was sanctioned and released for a national seminar on medicinal plant conservation and management at the High Mountain Arid Agriculture Research Institute, SKUAST-K, Stakna, Leh.
For 2025-26, Rs 9.92 lakh was sanctioned for enhancing salidroside content through various means in Rhodiola imbricata from the cold desert of Leh through in-field and in-vitro approaches.
A nucleus centre maintenance grant for SMPB, UT Ladakh, covering 2023-24 to 2025-26, received Rs 81 lakh, with the entire amount released and Rs 74.52 lakh utilised.
The government said the initiatives are aimed at strengthening conservation, scientific cultivation, processing, value addition and market linkages for medicinal plants in Ladakh, besides promoting sustainable cultivation and generating local employment—(KNO)