Medicinal Plants Training Opens New Farm Business Opportunities in Assam

Farmers in Assam are getting new opportunities to diversify into medicinal and aromatic plants. The ICAR-Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research (ICAR-DMAPR), Anand, recently organised a training programme at ICAR-IARI in Dhemaji to promote technologies for expanding medicinal and aromatic plant cultivation in the Northeast.

The one-day programme, held on August 12, focused on technologies that can help farming communities explore crops with uses in medicine, cosmetics, food products and other industries. The programme was organised under the North Eastern Hill region component for community empowerment.

Medicinal and aromatic plants can give farmers an alternative to conventional cereal and vegetable crops.

Plants such as lemongrass, citronella, ashwagandha, tulsi and other medicinal species can be cultivated depending on local soil and climate. Some also have established markets for essential oils, herbal products and pharmaceutical raw materials.

For farmers, the main opportunity is diversification. Instead of depending entirely on one crop, they can consider medicinal plants where suitable markets and processing facilities are available.

Training Links Farmers With Research

The ICAR-DMAPR programme focused on technologies that can support area expansion in the Northeast.

Training is important because medicinal plant farming requires knowledge of species selection, planting material, cultivation practices, harvesting and post-harvest handling.

Farmers also need to understand the market before planting large areas. A medicinal crop may have good demand, but the income depends on buyers, quality standards and access to processing.

Research institutions can help farmers identify suitable crops and production methods before they make major investments.

Northeast Has Scope for Diversification

The Northeast has varied agro-climatic conditions and large rural communities that depend on agriculture.

Introducing suitable medicinal and aromatic plants can help farmers make use of land during different seasons and create additional income sources.

The region also has potential for value addition. Instead of selling raw plant material, local enterprises can process crops into essential oils, dried products and other marketable goods.

This can create opportunities beyond farming, including nursery production, processing, packaging and marketing.

From Cultivation to Business

The biggest opportunity lies in developing a complete value chain around medicinal plants.

Farmers can produce the raw material, while farmer groups or local businesses can handle aggregation and primary processing. Larger companies can then purchase standardised material for further processing.

Such a system can reduce the risk of farmers being dependent on individual traders.

The training programme in Dhemaji is part of an effort to strengthen knowledge and expand medicinal and aromatic plant technologies in the Northeast.

What Farmers Should Check Before Starting

Farmers interested in medicinal plant cultivation should first identify:

• Which plants suit their local climate
• Availability of quality planting material
• Expected cultivation period
• Water and labour requirements
• Nearby buyers or processing units
• Current market demand

The crop should be selected based on both farming conditions and the market.

The Assam training programme shows how medicinal and aromatic plants can become another option for agricultural diversification in the Northeast. With scientific guidance and reliable markets, these crops could create new income opportunities for farmers while supporting rural processing and value-added businesses.