Problems and prospects of medicinal plant cultivation in Thiruvananthapuram district

Abstract

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.