National Medicinal Plant Board signs MoU with NBRI for promotion of cultivation, production of medicinal plants

New Delhi [India], June 5 : The National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPS) and the National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for extending joint collaborative efforts to boost the cultivation and production of medicinal plants and herbs in India.
The Ministry of Ayush on Saturday said, the MoU will facilitate the development of Quality Planting Material (QPM) of medicinal plants and herbs identified by NMPB, and will help in the establishment of their nurseries for QPM.
Development, promotion, conservation, and cultivation of the appropriate medicinal plants in different agro-climatic zones, including the threatened medicinal plant species and plants for the high-altitude regions, will also be facilitated by the MoU.
The collaboration will support CSIR-NBRI in carrying out potential medicinal plant species with high commercial value for the Germplasm collection/conservation and the establishment of nursery and seed banks/gene banks, the ministry reported.
The Ministry also said that NBRI, while undertaking the survey of medicinal plants, will work in coherence with NMPB in the desired direction.
"The outreaches of NMPB and its implementing agencies like State Medicinal Plants Boards (SMPB's), Regional-cum-facilitation Centres will work together under the ambit of this MoU," it added.
NMPB, working under the Ministry of Ayush, is mandated to coordinate all matters related to medicinal plants and to support Policies and Programs for the growth of trade, export, conservation, and cultivation of medicinal plants.