KATHUA, OCTOBER 17: A one-day District Level Seminar on “Promoting Conservation, Cultivation and Entrepreneurship in the Medicinal Plants Sector” was organized here today by the J&K Medicinal Plants Board and Directorate of AYUSH, J&K in collaboration with the District Administration Kathua.
Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Sharma was the Chief Guest on the occasion, while Director AYUSH J&K, Dr. Suresh Kumar Sharma was the Guest of Honour.
Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Commissioner highlighted the potential of medicinal plant cultivation as a sustainable livelihood avenue and urged farmers to adopt herbal crops for better income and supporting ecological balance. He also emphasized the use of AYUSH medicines for long-term health management. He directed AYUSH staff to organize awareness camps in remote areas of the district.
Director AYUSH J&K, Dr. Suresh Kumar Sharma, informed that two Nakshatra Gardens and multiple School Herbal
Gardens will soon be established in Kathua district on the lines of similar initiatives in other districts.
Earlier, the Experts from the J&K Medicinal Plants Board including Dr. Wahid, Dr. Ramesh and Dr. Paramjeet Puri held interactive sessions with the participants and deliberated upon departmental schemes promoting cultivation of medicinal herbs as an alternative to conventional crops. Subject experts from KVK and SKUAST-Jammu also delivered technical lectures on conservation and scientific cultivation practices of medicinal plants.
Later, the DC Kathua and Director AYUSH participated in a plantation drive held in the premises of the District Ayush Office.
Officers from Agriculture, Horticulture, Forest and KVK departments besides a large number of farmers from different blocks of the district participated in the seminar.
District Ayush Officer Kathua, Dr. Rakesh Sharma presented the vote of thanks.
