TN to boost medicinal plants

Chennai: The state government has embarked on an ambitious task of promoting the cultivation of medicinal plants in Tamil Nadu and also to increase the extent of its cultivation. It has all-ocated as much as Rs 53.281 crore to execute the programme this fiscal.

The programme has been taken up to help meet the growing requirement for medicinal plant and herbs. The scheme envisages en-couraging the cultivation of medicinal crops in an area of 18,292 hectares with a weighted average of subsi-dy of 30 per cent for 93 ty-pes of plants during the 11th Five-Year Plan period.

Besides, 12 model nurseries and 48 small nurseries will be established at an es-timated cost of Rs 20 lakh and Rs 4 lakh, respectively during the scheme period with 50 per cent financial assistance ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

This Centrally-sponsored scheme, being executed under the national mission on medicinal plants and sponsored by the departme-nt of AYUSH, Union ministry of health and welfare. The scheme is expected to be completed by 2011-12. On the cards is the development of 26 drying sheds and 33 storage godowns at a cost of Rs 5 lakh with cent per cent assistance to PSUs and SHGs.