UK firm interested in buying herbs
In a development that could provide a much-needed fillip to cultivation of herbal plants in North Karnataka, a UK firm, Pukka Herbs, is planning to tie up with herbal growers in the region to buy and market their produce.
Pukka Herbs Director Sebastian and International Supply Development Coordinator of the company Ben Heron visited Dr Joshi-Dr Gandamali Farm, situated near Gamangatti between Hubli and Dharwad, on Saturday to asses the quality of different herbal plants grown there. Mr Sebastian and Mr Heron will visit some more farms in North Karnataka in the next two weeks.
“We are very much impressed by the cultivation methods followed to grow herbal plants in the region. The herbal plants grown in this part of the State have a rich medicinal quality as organic farming is adopted. This is the system we are planning to support in India to promote herbal farming,” said Mr Heron.
He said ‘Tulasi’ and ‘Ashwagandha’ products had a good market in the UK. Triple Tulasi tea-- mixture of Rama, Krishna and Vana Tulasi leaves-- is the most sought after tea in England. For, it was a sure medicine for cold and cough, he added.
The Pukka Herbs, a three-million-Pound annual turnover company, is the largest suppliers of ayurvedic herbs in the Britain. The water, soil and climatic conditions here have made the herbal plants of the region better than the medicinal plants cultivated in other parts of the State. This could provide effective remedy for many health problems.
The Pukka Herbs works with herbal growers on a cooperative basis. It has a network of farmers, who grow herbal plants using purely organic methods, in India and other countries.
Brainchild
Dr Joshi-Dr Gandamali Farm is a brain child of well-known eye surgeon M M Joshi and Dr Pandu Gandamali, an ayurvedic doctor. Spread across 20 acres, this farm has some of the rare medicinal plants cultivated using the organic method. Popular plants, including Amruta Balli, Ashvagandha, Tulasi, Hari Amla and Brahmi Amla are grown here in abundance. Apart from this, sapota, papaya are also grown here.
“The representatives from the Pukka Herbs were very much impressed by the methods we are using for cultivation and variety of herbs we have maintained. They were keen to know about Ashvagandha, a popular herbal plant in the ayurvedic medicine system used for energising man’s body,” said Dr Gandamali.
