Medicinal plants
In the
recent years, medicinal plants have been gaining immense popularity not only in developing countries but also in developed countries due to various
well-known reasons like side effects of synthetic drugs
According to a recent report published in a Bangla newspaper, health experts at a workshop in Rangpur stressed on the importance of expanded cultivation of medicinal plants and their post-harvesting management adopting eco-friendlytechnologies to preserve their medicinal values.
It is good to know that there is increasing awareness about the conservation and cultivation of medicinal plants these days. We believe that there is a need to take up intensive cultivation through peoples participation in the forest areas as well as agricultural lands. It is well known that medicinal plants are economically important as they provide the basic raw material for not only the pharmaceutical industry but also for sectors like perfumery, soaps and cosmetic industries. Since, most of the plants have not been cultivated widely farmers often lack knowledge in their scientific cultivation. The information on the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic crops is also scanty, scattered and mostly beyond the reach of most farmers.
The use of plants as medicine is as old as human civilisation itself. According to scientific studies, Bangladesh used to be the home of literally thousands of medicinal plants which were used by various traditional systems of medicine. Even today Bangladesh can boast of having numerous species of plants that have medicinal benefits. Unfortunately though, most of these species are in a state of neglect. In spite of their well proven uses and economic returns over generations, such species are not being cultivated on a large scale, due to lack of awareness about the utility, economics and adaptability.
Many of these underutilized species, having survived under harsh agro-climatic conditions, can be established on fallow lands, slopes, crops boundaries which are presently being underutilized either due to poor soil fertility or moisture scarcity.
In the recent years, medicinal plants have been gaining immense popularity not only in developing countries but also in developed countries due to various well-known reasons like side effects of synthetic drugs. Therefore, the demand for the basic raw material has been increasing steadily.
So there is an urgent need to conserve and to propagate some important medicinal plants species so as to save them from extinction and also to ensure greater availability of raw material. To encourage farmers for medicinal plant cultivation, the points for consideration should be adaptability, higher returns, short gestation period, easy access to post harvest facilities and assured markets. It is also necessary to increase the demand for the produce by exploring their uses, creation of awareness among consumers and establishing a good distribution network through agriculture economics activities. In some cases inter-cropping of medicinal herbs will generate additional income for farmers.
