MSc

A research study entitled "Problems and prospects of medicinal plant
cultivation in Thiruvananthapuram district" was undertaken with a view to
assess the knowledge of the medicinal plant cultivators on the medicinal value
of the plants cultivated by them, to identify the training need of the cultivators
in medicinal plant cultivation, to study the market orientation of the cultivators,
to analyse the cost-benefit relationship of medicinal plant cultivation and to
identify the problems and solutions in medicinal plant cultivation.
One hundred medicinal plant cultivators were selected from the four
taluks of Thiruvananthapuram district using stratified random sampling
technique with proportionate allocation. Data were collected by using a
structured interview schedule.
Knowledge was assessed by developing a knowledge test for the study.
Training need was identified using the method developed by Bhatnagar (1987).
Market orientation was studied by using the method developed by Anantharaman
(1991), which included identification of marketing channels and analysis of cost-
benefit relationship of medicinal plant cultivation by using input-output analysis in
terms of economic aspects of medicinal plant cultivation. Problems and solutions in
medicinal plant cultivation as perceived by the cultivators, procurers and retail shop
dealers were identified by using open-end questions. Ranking was done to identify
the importance of the problems and solutions.

Majority of the medicinal plant cultivators had medium to high-level
knowledge on the medicinal value of the plants cultivated by them. The
independent variables, namely, age, farming experience, experience in
medicinal plant cultivation, farm size, area under medicinal plant cultivation,
annual income, income from medicinal plant cultivation, extension contact,
extension participation, mass media exposure and information seeking
behaviour were having significant and positive relationship with knowledge.
The variable education was found to have no relationship with knowledge on
medicinal value of plants cultivated by them.
Marketing was perceived as the most important area of training at
knowledge level followed by processing, storing, seeds and sowing,
harvesting, land preparation, manuring, weeding, plant protection and
irrigation in the descending order of importance whereas for training need at
skill level, processing was holding first preference followed by harvesting,
storing, marketing, seeds and sowing, land preparation, plant protection,
manuring, weeding and irrigation.
Market orientation of the cultivators was studied under two heads, namely,
identification of marketing channels and analysis of cost-benefit relationship of
medicinal plant cultivation. Among the marketing channels identified, the
producer-dealer-ayurvedic medicine manufactures was the channel through which
bulk of the produces were marketed. The cost-benefit relationship of medicinal
plant cultivation revealed that it was a profitable enterprise.
The problems identified in the descending order of importance by
medicinal plant cultivators, procurers and retailers were, pre-harvest and

post-harvest handling, lack of storage facilities unorganised marketing, non
availability of genuine planting materials, lack of developmental and
extension service, lack of research work for developing new varieties, lack of
credit/loan facilities, lack of cultivators package of practices, over- exploitation of
wild medicinal plants, fluctuations in market price, substitution and
adulteration, confusion with respect to identification of the species, inexorable
monetisation of medicinal plant economy, absence of practical training,
climate and soil and lack of co-ordination among medicinal plant cultivators.
Training of farmers in pre-harvest and post-harvest handling of
medicinal plant produce, providing suitable storage facilities, creating a
regulated market for the medicinal plant produces, ensuring regular and timely
supply of genuine planting materials through government and service
agencies, initiating more research for developing new varieties of improved
medicinal properties, providing credit or loans through institutionalised
agencies at low interest rates, providing the farming community with a unique
and standardised package of practices recommendations of an authentic
expertise body, conserving the wild economically important medicinal plant
species and initiating participatory and group approaches in medicinal plant
cultivation only can help the farmers to solve the aforesaid problems.
Medicinal plants are a national treasure. Preventing extinction and
preserving the great Indian medicinal heritage is of much importance. With
the advent of 21 st century due to global search for "alternatives" in health care,
there is a tremendous resurgence of interests in traditional system of
medicines by popularising medicinal plant cultivation.