About Us

STATE MEDICINAL PLANTS BOARD KERALA

The State Medicinal Plants Board, Kerala (SMPB) was constituted under the administrative jurisdiction of the Health and Family Welfare Department, Govt. of Kerala in 2002, as per the direction of the Dept. of AYUSH, Govt. of India. The AYUSH dept. in Kerala was constituted during the year 2015. From 2015 onwards the State Medicinal Plants Board is coming under the administrative jurisdiction of the AYUSH Department.

The aim of the SMPB is to coordinate matters relating to the Cultivation, Conservation, Research & Development and Promotion of the medicinal plant's sector in the State. SMPB is functioning with the financial assistance of State Govt. and National Medicinal Plants Board, Govt. of India.

Our Mission

• Promotion: Promotion of Medicinal Plants cultivation
• Production: Production and supply of Quality Planting Material.
• Policy Making: Formulate policy and project for conservation, development and non-destructive harvesting of medicinal plants.
• Cultivation: Cultivation of Medicinal Plants through participatory approach and ensure sustained supply of Raw materials to AYUSH industries.
• Conservation & Resource augmentation: Ex-situ & in-situ conservation of medicinal plants including RET Plants.
• Value addition: Value addition Adopt value-added methods including semi-processing to ensure the right price to the participants.
• Marketing Support: Assessment of demand and supply and provide adequate information to the farmers, traders/ buyers.
• Research and Development: Providing necessary support and promotion for research and development projects.
• Quality Standards & Certification: Establishing Quality standards and procedures, and promote national and international Certifications to the product and service.
• Training: Empowering and capacity building of Participants.
• Awareness: Create Awareness on medicinal plants to general public especially for the young generation.

SMPB's Objectives

1. Survey and Quantification of Medicinal Plants available and traded in Kerala.
2. Assessment of demand and supply position relating to medicinal plants both within and outside Kerala including abroad, and providing it to growers & buyers.
3. Creation and development of experimental plots of medicinal plants and imparting training to farmers/growers for promotion of ex-situ cultivation.
4. Provide guidance in the formulation of proposals, schemes and programmes to be taken by individuals/ Agencies having access to land for cultivation and infrastructure for collection, storage and transportation of medicinal plants.
5. Monitor, coordinate and evaluate medicinal plant development schemes and projects funded by central and state government, their organizations and other institution.
6. Compilation of information on Medicinal plants nurseries, medicinal plants growers, industries, traders etc. in the state and regular updating of this information.
7. To promote the cooperation and communication among Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAP) stakeholders responsible for the production, collection, transportation, commercialization and product development.
8. Developing training modules for growers, buyers, NGOs, Traders etc and Conducting regular training, workshops, seminars etc. on quality planting materials (QPM), cultivation, good agriculture practices (GAP’s), good post harvest practices (GPHP’s), marketing, organic certification, quality assurance and crop insurance of medicinal plants.
9. Educating general public, students and young generations about the uses, benefits and importance of medicinal plants in their day – to – day life.
10. Promotion of home including flats, school and Institutional Herbal gardens.
11. Setting up of a database with regular updating for Medicinal plants with details such as local and trade names, scientific name, botany, cultivation etc.