One day workshop on Cultivation of Medicinal Plants

Centre for Traditional Medicine & Research Organized a one day workshop on 'Techno commercial aspects of Medicinal Plant Cultivation' for the officers of the Horticultural Department of Tamilnadu in the Coimbatore region on 30th June 2009 at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam premises, Annaikatti in the Western ghats 25 kms from Coimbatore. 45 officers of the department working in Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tirupur and Erode districts including Deputy Director, Assistant Directors and Horticultural officers took part in the training apart from Siddha physicians, NGO members and few traders of Medicinal Plants.

Mr.Chandrasekar, Deputy Director inaugurated the workshop stressing on the need for clear understanding of the potential for medicinal plants cultivation in the region and technical feasibility. He also mentioned the quantum of subsidy available for promotion of medicinal plants cultivation under the National Medicinal Plants Mission and how judicious use of the same will benefit growers as well as the Traditional Medicine industry. Dr.T.Thirunarayanan, Presented the commercial viability of different crops likely to be grown in the region and the current demand status along with volume and price. Vaidya. S.Usman Ali, director of CTMR presented the technical aspects of cultivation of Coleus, Gloriosa, Aswagandha, Centella, Bacopa among other plants. He also stressed the need to promote growing of atleast 10 trees per acre by individual farmers in the margin of the land – Saraca asoca, Aegle marmeoles were recommended as they are in high demand. He also suggested live fence of Bonduc, Adathoda, Henna on the hedge.

The participants also visited the Demonstration garden of medicinal plants, field scale processing facility, storage facility of AIM for SEWA and appreciated the efforts of Shri. D.S. Raman. In maintaining such a integrated facility and collection of both tropical and temperate species of medicinal plants in the Garden.

Traditional Healers Meet- Krishnagiri

Traditional Healers Conference

Centre for Traditional Medicine and Research, Chennai is carrying out a project entitled ‘Documentation and Validation of Local Health Traditions’ in Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts of Tamilnadu with grant from Department of Ayush. Govt.of India. So far over 170 traditional healers have been interviewed and their healing practices documented. As Part of the field based research activity an one day ‘Traditional Healers Conference’ was organized at Forest Extension Centre, Krishnagiri on 28th June 2009. Over 70 healers from the districts of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri Districts took part in the conference. Ten institutionally trained Siddha physicians and 15 field staff of the forest department also took part in the meet. Dr.M.A Kumar, Deputy Advisor- Siddha and Nodal Officer for LHT projects. Department of Ayush presided over the inaugural session and delivered a lecture detailing the objective of this intervention, mainly to revive the lost healthy traditional health practices which will reduce the health expenditure burden of the community. He stressed that the traditional medical science has survived this long, mainly due to the oral traditions handed over by the healers to the next generation as institutes have come up only in the last four decades. Mr.Ganesan, the district forest officer, Hosur in his inaugural address emphasized the need to live in harmony with nature, as living in harmony with nature is the cornerstone of health care in traditional medicine and appealed to the practitioners to use the medicinal plants in a sustainable way and regenerate them in home gardens, community parks and as hedge crop in their agricultural land.

Four vaidyas were presented ‘Best healer’ award on the occasion. Mr.Kembae Ramiya of urigam at the ripe age of 84 not only provides treatment in this interior forest village, but maintains a good herbal collection and imparts knowledge of the healing practice to seekers. Mr.P.R Krishnan aged 82 is continuously imparting training to a group of 40 healers for a period of 12 years and created a good library and a miniature common medicine processing facility at Dharmapuri. Mr. Kathirvel of Nalampatty a bone setter, treating atleast 300 persons every day with the help of his assistants for whom he has imparted training and Mr.Sivaprakasam of Thonganur who treats atleast 500 persons every Sunday were awarded. The Awards were presented by Dr. L.P Yuvaraj and Dr.K.Kootharsan, senior Siddha physicians of the districts. Vaidya S.Usman Ali, director – CTMR and Dr.T.Thirunarayanan shared the findings of the research so far and the healers took active part in the deliberations which followed. Dr.Sugumaran, Dr.Hariharan and Dr.Sunandani – Siddha physicians shared the views of the institutionally trained Siddha physicians and expressed their willingness to work closely with traditional healers.

The healers displayed the fresh plants used by them, Raw drugs used by them and rare form of medicines prepared by them. The healers also visited the medicinal plants garden maintained at the Forest extension centre and Vaidya. S.Usman Ali explained to them the propagation technique to be adopted for different plants

Training on Medicinal Plant gardens in Schools

CTMR along with Chennai circle of the State Forest Department organized a one day training programme on establishing medicinal plants garden at Schools at State Forest Research Institute, kolapakkam on 17th June 2009. Nine schools both government and private schools took part in the training which included visit to the medicinal plant demo garden and display gallery. Principals, Biology teachers as well as school pupil leaders/eco club presidents took active part in the deliberation. Mr.Jainulabudeen, Deputy Conservator of Forest inaugurated the training. Vaidya. S.Usman ali, Director CTMR explained about the procedures of land selection, designing of garden, plant species to be grown and their propagation techniques. Dr.T.Thirunarayanan listed plants of common uses and explained about the simple remedies to be made out of it and dose of use. The forest department assured saplings at very low cost in order to promote medicinal plants garden in schools. The students assured to carry forward the message to other students in the school assembly and assured to maintain the garden.

TRADITIONAL HEALERS CONFERENCE

CTMR organizes a traditional healer’s conference on 28th June 2009, at Forest Extension centre, Jeenur, Krishnagiri. About 100 healers from Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts of Tamilnadu are participating in this conference organized with grant from Department of AYUSH, Government of India. The outcome of the documentation study carried out by CTMR on the traditional healing practices will be presented and views of the other vaidyas elucidated as part of the peer review and validation activity. Four senior vaidyas making significant contribution in terms of delivery of medical service, training the next generation of healers, creation of awareness and maintaining a vast repository of healing herbs are to be honored on this occasion.

CTMR to facilitate Growers-Industry tie-up for Medicinal Plants cultivation

In an effort to provide support for farmers cultivating medicinal plants CTMR has tied up with four extraction and Ayurveda formulation companies for buy back of the produce of 15 commercially important medicinal plants like coleus, gloriosa, gymnema, centella, bacopa. In the current year about 200 farmers cultivating in 500 acres would benefit from the tie-up. The activity will focus on Coimbatore, Thiruvannamalai and Perambalur district. Interested farmers can get in touch with Horticulturist at CTMR Chennai. 044-22533399

Gloriosa cultivation in Bhavnagar

CTMR Director Vaidya.S.Usman Ali and Dr.T.Thirunarayanan recently visited shihor in Bhavnagar District in GUJARAT to introduce large scale cultivation of Gloriosa superba as the seed price of the seeds have sky rocketed in the recent past due to higher demand. This seeds are used for extraction of Colchchin and its derivatives used in GOUT.

Training on 'Medicinal Plants Cultivation by Tribal'

Training on Medicinal Plants Cultivation for Tribal at Maannar Settlement , Karamadai Forest Range- 15th May 2009.

AIM for Sewa, Coimbatore, Centre for Traditional Medicine and Research (CTMR), Chennai and Jan Sikstan Samiti(JSS), Coimbatore joined together with the Tamilnadu forest department and organized a training programme on cultivation of commercially viable medicinal plants at Maanar tribal settlement near kilkundha of Karamadai forest Range. About 50 land owning tribal men and women took part in the training. A visit was also undertaken to the fields to examine the suitability of the land for cultivation of the selected species. Gymnema, Andrographis, Palmrosa, Tulsi, Bacopa and Henna. Suggestions were also made for growing medicinal plants as kitchen herbal garden and how to use them for common ailments. Shri. D.S. Raman of AIM for Sewa distributed saplings and assured free supply of seeds and saplings required for cultivation in 20 acres of land owned by as many tribal families. Mrs.Sundaravalli, Horticulturist of CTMR explained the agricultural practices- land preparation including manuring, Planting espacement, interculture, other care, harvest and post harvest handling. Dr.R.Sudha, Siddha expert explained the use of different plants and also about using them for health promotion and treating common ailment. Dr. T.Thirunarayanan of CTMR gave an insight into the commercial viability, the alternate income generation and prosperity it can bring to ensure sustainable livelihood for the tribal families living in the remote area. Mr.Dasan the range officer informed that the DFO has assured support for getting infrastructure to pump water from the streams and percolation ponds. Mr. Balasubramanian, Director of JSS has organized the training and also distributed books under the ‘Literacy for All’ project to two trained facilitators from the tribal community. A time bound programme is planned for cultivation and AIM for sewa will facilitate selling of the cultivated produce to three reputed user industries with which buy-back arrangement has been worked out.