Encourage plantation of medicinal saplings: DFO

Visakhapatnam: Emphasising the need for encouraging plantation of medicinal saplings in the agency, Divisional Forest Officer I K V Raju said there was more possibility, especially in the areas of Chintapalli and Araku, to grow medicinal plants. They are encouraging the medicinal plantation every year in an extent of 50 acres, he added.

He was speaking at a training programme for the upcoming tribal farmers interested in the medicinal plants, organised by the Horticultural Research Station, Venkataramannagudem of Dr YSR Horticultural University and the National Medicinal Plants Board at ITDA, Paderu, on Tuesday. Raju informed that it was planned to distribute 30 lakh Silver Oak saplings to the coffee farmers this year. Following the directive of ITDA Project Officer M Harinarayanan, another 10 lakh saplings would also be distributed.

Assistant Project Officer of ITDA S V S S S S Kumar informed that the most important medicinal plants like Sarpagandhi and Nelavemu are being encouraged in the East and West Godavari districts which should also be encouraged in Visakha agency. ITDA Horticulture Officer Chittibabu said that the land in Paderu and Hukumpet mandals in the agency area is more vulnerable to grow medicinal plants and so they are encouraging the tribal farmers to grow turmeric and pippallu crops.

“If the government encourages the medicinal farmers on the lines of coffee growers by creating marketing facility, more farmers will come forward to take up medicinal plants,” he explained.

Senior Scientific Officers Dr Rajasekhar, Dr Chandrasekhar Rao, Dr Ramadevi, K Umamaheswari, P Sunita, Kovel Foundation representative Viswanath, representative of Green Leaves Solutions Rajamahendravaram Sridevi and others were present.