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Jammu, January 08: Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Mohammad Alyas Khan, along with Director AYUSH J&K Dr. Suresh Sharma, today formally inaugurated a one-day seminar on “Promoting Conservation, Cultivation of Medicinal Plants and Developing Entrepreneurship in the Medicinal Plants Sector in the UT of J&K.”
The seminar was organized by the Health & Medical Education Department J&K, Directorate of AYUSH J&K and the J&K Medicinal Plants Board, in collaboration with the District Administration Ramban.
During the programme, CPO Dr. Shakeeb Ahmed, CAO Vinay Jandyal, Technical Officer Dr. Wahid-ul-Hassan, District Nodal Officer Medicinal Plants Board Ramban Dr. Masood Zargar, and resource persons including Nodal Officer Dr. Paramjeet Puri, Dr. Romesh Chander and Dr. Bashir Ahmed Dar, sensitized the participants through their expert lectures.
Officers from the Forest, Ecology & Environment Department, Agriculture Production Department and other concerned departments, besides farmers and stakeholders from across the district, also participated in the programme.
Deputy Commissioner emphasized the need for a structured, sustainable and commercially viable strategy to harness the economic, ecological and livelihood potential of aromatic and medicinal plant cultivation in both forest and non-forest areas.
He directed the concerned departments to prepare comprehensive, area-specific action plans for large-scale propagation of high-value plant species and to popularize their cultivation among farmers and local communities.
The DC further stressed optimal utilization of available land in educational and other institutions and forest areas for demonstration, training and capacity-building programmes, besides the production of quality planting and propagation material.
Highlighting the importance of practical exposure, he also called for the establishment of model herbal gardens in colleges and schools to showcase best practices and motivate farmers to adopt cultivation on a commercial scale.
Speaking on the occasion, Director AYUSH J&K underscored the profitability and long-term potential of the medicinal and aromatic plants sector. He urged the departments to explore setting up processing units, value-addition facilities and dedicated clusters, while effectively utilizing available land as reserves and demonstration sites.
He noted that such initiatives would significantly enhance income-generation opportunities for farming communities.
The Director further suggested the development of cluster-based frameworks to enable farmers to learn collectively, access technical knowledge, quality planting material and market linkages, thereby strengthening entrepreneurship and ensuring sustainable growth of the sector in District Ramban.
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