AMN
The Government has announced a pioneering project envisaging total transformation in the landscape of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) cultivation in Jammu and Kashmir. The 62 Crore rupee, five-year project aims at cultivating MAPs on 5 thousand kanal of land spread across 28 clusters, with a potential of creating over 3 thousand jobs and 28 enterprises. The MAP sector is estimated to contribute about 75 crore rupees every year after 5 years which is expected to rise to over 783 crore rupees by the year 2037.
This ambitious project marks a significant transition from traditional, wild extraction-based practices to a more sustainable, modern approach to MAP cultivation, conservation and entrepreneurship. The mission of this project is to achieve commercial production of MAPs outside the forests, promote organic farming, develop local and international markets besides boosting advance scientific knowledge through insightful research. Besides, promoting cultivation and conservation of MAPs, promote organic farming and standardization, provide special facilities for primary processing, preserve intellectual property rights, educate cultivators on the best practices and undertake research to develop new herbal formulations and drugs.
Jammu & Kashmir has 129 hectare of cultivatable wasteland, of which, only 2 per cent shall be used for MAP cultivation. Additionally, farmers who adopt MAP cultivation can expect to see a 30-40 per cent increase in their agricultural income. This project represents a major step forward towards promotion of medicinal and aromatic plant sector in J&K besides offering tremendous potential for employment, income generation and sustainable development. This project also promises to bring the MAP sector into the 21st century and secure its place as a key player in the national and international markets for herbal drugs and cosmetics.