FFP Interventions on Medicinal Plants for Migrants during COVID-19 Pandemic

With an objective of helping the migrants of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun, Uttarakhand has taken-up the intervention on the Medicinal Plants’ cultivation under the Farmers’ FIRST Project in 23 hamlets of Raipur Block, Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

During the months of April to June, about 500 migrant workers from the different parts of the country moved back to their native places in the Project area. The area has about 80% Rainfed and degraded lands. Some of the medicinal plants having high remunerative are capable of being cultivated in such degraded lands also. With the guidance of the Institute’s scientists, the farmers have started cultivating the medicinal plants namely - Tulsi, Kaunch, Giloy, etc., in the Project area.

To promote the produce’s sale, the marketing linkages are also being developed with the Patanjali and other agencies to enable the farmers get the fair price of their produce. It is expected that by October to November - 2020, the crop will be ready to harvest and accordingly, the farmers are to be trained for primary level processing. The intervention’s success will be a boon for the area and the problems related to livelihood security will be solved.

(Source: ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun, Uttarakhand)