Prospects and trends in Medicinal plant cultivation and value

1. A2: Team Member Report
Name: Mr. Sharath Kumar M S
Project Area: Uttarakhand: Pithoragarh, Asote, Dharchula, Tanakpur, Haldwani and
Ramnagar.
Program: Agriculture Income: MAP value chain survey
Date: 19th
December 2019- 31st
December 2019
DAY-WISE ACTIVITY REPORT
Date Report on activities carried out, sites visited, observations, problems
19th
December
2019
&
20th
December
2019
On the 19th of December 2019, I left my place by Uber to the Huda city center at 7:40 PM
and reached the metro station at 8:15 PM, I had actually booked the Uber to Kashmiri gate
but the driver of the cab suggested me to take the metro instead as it would be impossible to
get there by 10 PM due to the anti- CAA protests in Delhi resulting in traffic jam in the
Gurgaon- Delhi road.
The afternoon news from various sources had broadcasted that the metros were closed in 14
locations, but fortunately, the metros were open by 7:00 PM. By the metro, I reached the
Kashmiri gate at 9:20 PM. I walked up until the Kashmiri gate 2, close to the DC office and
the police station and boarded onto the bus. The bus left the Kashmiri gate 2 at 10:30 PM.
The bus stopped at 2:30 AM near the Uttarakhand border and finally reached Haldwani at
around 5:20 AM. The Temperature was around 7°C at the time and there were already many
people at the bus stop and it was quite busy early morning. I had some food in the morning
and waited for the bus to Pithoragarh and finally boarded on the bus that was leaving for
Pithoragarh. The bus left Haldwani at 7:20 AM after it was completely filled.
The bus stopped at Almora for lunch and finally reached Pithorogarh at 4:40 PM. Since my
SIM was not functional and the locals told me that Jio doesn't work, I immediately rushed to
buy a SIM and activated my SIM by 5:30 PM.
I tried calling everyone on the phone number list given by MCS, but none connected. I got to
finally speak to Ms. Kavitha, she told me that she could co-ordinate and gave me the address
to the Pithoragarh office. I reached the office at 6:00 PM but nobody was in the office at that
time.
I went back and tried calling all the numbers but none were able to get in phone with.
A view of Almora

2. 21st
December
2019
On 21st
December 2019, I started my day at 9:00 AM and reached the office on the Thana
kothwali road at 9:20 AM. Interestingly almost everyone I spoke to knows about our office.
Although the nights were cold, it was bright in the day with a sharp Sun.
I was able to get in touch with Mr.shayamal today, who was apparently on leave. I spoke to
Ms.Rima and Ms.Vedhika from MCS and they had spoken to Ms.Neetu. I did speak to Ms.
Neethu as well and she had said that she would reach the office in 2 hours. Since the office
was locked, I was waiting in the shop next to our office. They are herbal company too and
offered me tea.
I left for Satsiling accompanied by Ms.Neethu and reached there only around 3:40 PM (
because we left at 2:30 PM from office as the was locked, we had to cut the lock and get
inside as nobody had key). Since Mr.Manoj and Mr.Shyamal were unfortunately on leave, I
had to wait for Ms.Neetu.
In Satsiling, we met Mr.Devram(9997683815). All his plants are dead since he has not
watered them. Even the Rouvlfia serpentina saplings which were alive until Dec 4 have died.
He had no information to share when I asked him about how much he traded.
Since he has been growing MAP's under our demonstration project for only 4 months, this is
the first time he is growing too. Even the none MAP crops he has grown have died. I told
him about the importance and benefits of growing MAP's and the importance of farming in
general. The other 2 people in the FEG list, Mr. Vikram Singh and Mr.Kalyan Ram were not
reachable
We talked to Mrs.sarswati Bhat who is the SHG leader. I showed her and a few others the
agriculture tools presentation on my phone and also the print outs. I got a response from 4
women farmers. The next day, she said, there would be at least 10 who we could meet with.
I had told Ms. Neetu to coordinates with me the following day and leave early by 8:00 AM.
I had called Mr.Deepak, Askote PT, and told him about my plan and to be available for some
assistance. I had also told the MCS team about it.
Mr. DevRam(9997683815) in his plot. A view of Gunsera Goan
22nd
December
2019
On the 22nd
December 2019, starting the day at 8:40 AM, I met Ms.Neetu, the AA, at 9:10
AM and we reached Ghunsera Goan at 10:20 AM. Ghunsera Goan is about 10Km from the
office and we had to take a shared taxi until the checkpoint on the Darchula road. From the
checkpoint, we had to walk 3 km to Gusera Goan village.

3. I spoke to Mrs.Rehka and Mrs.Sarawswati Bhat(8979649882) who are the head of the 2
SHG groups here in the village. They are together 14 of them. Ms.Neetu coordinated and we
gathered everyone at Mrs. Saraswati Devi's residence. We sat there, and I showed them the
presentations on my phone, videos of some of the tools and also handed them the printouts. I
also briefed them on every tool and how it would help them improve their efficiency and
bring down the need for prolonged physical endurance.
I asked them to rank the tools in the order they would use, and, by the once that they think
would have a positive impact on their productivity and subsequently reduce drudgery.
In the planting section: they prefer Rotary dibbler, which they think would greatly help them
sow a variety of seeds in an orderly spaced manner in their fields. They also like the idea of
Naveen Dibbler in sowing paddy and think it would be more suitable than four drum paddy
seeder or transplanter, as their farms are small ( 10 naali ~ half-acre approx ). They also liked
the idea of seed cum fertilizer and put it 4th in the rank. Fertilizer broadcaster according to
them would also reduce a lot of wastage and they also confirmed that it would be best to
sprinkle fertilizer than apply solid fertilizer on the plant leaf.
In the post-harvesting tools section, there number one choice is the pedal-operated paddy
thresher and they believe all paddy produce that they grow together as a group can be sorted
in just 2 days with it. They also grow maize and they do sell small quantities of the kernels to
the market, they chose Tubular hand maize sheller as their choice of tool. Other tools like
winnower, hanging paddy did not strike to them as a great option as they grow only little
quantity of paddy and they believe ‘by hand’ is the best way to separate the husk from the
grain. Groundnut, coconut areca nut, and tea are not grown in the area.
They ranked power tiller and garden rake useful in tilling tools. Hand ridger, double wheel
hoe for weeding were ranked 1 and 2. Grubber and cano- weeder did not in their opinion,
suit the terrain and therefore, would not suit the purpose.
In the harvesting section, serrated sickle and scythe were their top choice. And everybody in
the group agreed that these two tools would help them to a great extent and minimize a lot of
their day to day trouble of cutting grass and fodder for their livestock. Other tools like fruit
catcher are not preferred as Malta trees are small in the area. Tea, sugarcane, cotton are not
grown in the area. Although, everybody likes the concept of wheelbarrow they all had one
thing to say that the wheelbarrow can't be used in their area( pahad ) as the terrain is uneven
and the wheelbarrow would be rather difficult to use.
Interestingly, everyone in the group has a minimum eduction of pre-university. Three of
them are also MA graduates and still prefer farming and would like to live in their village.
After telling them more about the tools, we finally left the place at 12:00 PM for Pithorogarh
to catch the jeep to Kanalichina. We reached Kanalichina at around 2:00 PM.
We had spoken to Mr. Govind Singh (9411709308) to be near the Demo plant, his name is
on the FEG list shared by Ms.Rima. I had an elaborate talk with Mr. Govind. He said he has
put a lot of effort into planting the MAPs but even after all the effort, all his plants have died.
Atees, Ashwagandha, Sarpagandha, Kaala jeera , Rosemary in his plot have died. He said he
did water them and put organic manure only. A few Kutki saplings have survived in the half

4. naali plot of his. But as I saw, many unwanted plants had grown in the plot and it was not
cleaned and, it did not seem like they had watered it well.
I also understood that the weather in the region is not suited very well. Coupled with this, is
the trouble of monkeys that destroy everything. The lack of water has killed the little flower-
bearing plants. These plants are sensitive and are not the same as paddy, wheat, and maize.
They need attention and care.
Mr. Govind has been farming for almost 40 years also thinks turmeric, ginger, mustard can
be lucrative farming as well. I next meet the 70-year-old Mrs.Koshilya Devi (7500197736)
whose name is also on the FEG list but she is no longer a farmer but her farm has been taken
care of by her Daughter in law Mrs. Asha who had also grown Kutki and atees. All their
plants have died too. Mrs.Koshilya Devi believes that the temperature is a factor and thinks
the newer generations are not interested in farming and they have abandoned the place,
moved to urban areas in search of jobs.
Both these farmers are quite old to be farming but are experienced farmers. They are
growing MAPs for the first time too and they have not traded MAPs so far but they do like to
understand the cause of the death of plants and improve. They are not aware of the prices for
MAPs and don't know who they can trade with.
Next, I headed to meet Mrs.Kamla Devi. Although I was not able to meet her, her relative
Mr. Mahendra Singh took me to her farm. Some of the Kutki saplings in the plot have
survived, but the plot is completely taken over by unwanted plants that have not been
cleaned. Also, people have stepped on the saplings on several occasions, stones due to
construction have also damaged few plants. With proper care, I think Kutki (
Picrorhiza Kurroa ) farming is still very profitable in the area considering the fact that Kutki
is perennial. Mr. Mahendra believes Aloe vera can be a great option as MAP and that the
barren lands can be utilized for growing Aloe Vera. He added that people abandoning their
farms has resulted in the growth of trees that have attracted the monkeys. The monkeys are
responsible for the destruction of their crops. He also has a solar power plant of his own.
At 4:30 PM, we left Kanalichina to Pithorogarh and I ended my day at 6:00 PM.
Mrs. Rekha, 4th
from the left and Mrs. Saraswathi Bhatt, first one from the right the leaders of the SHG group
with them are the rest of the SHG members from Gunsera goan during the Agricultural tool and machinery
briefing.

5. Mr. Govind Singh, a beneficiary from Kanalichina (left). His plot in the right, only a few kutki plants have
survived and the rest of the plants have unfortunately died.
Mr. Govind Singh discusses with me, the troubles the farmers in Kanalichina face and also suggests other
alternatives to MAPs.
On the left is Mrs. Koshlya Devi, a 70-year-old beneficiary from Kanalichina discusses the reason for the death
of the saplings, On the right, Mr. Govind and Mrs. Koshlya discuss alternatives and possible mitigation
actions.

6. Mr. Mahendra Singh, brother in law of Mrs. Kamla Devi, the beneficiary of the Agriculture extension project.
He gives his opinion on alternative lucrative herbs and also sheds information on various troubles the farmers
in Kanlichina have to go through.
Mrs. Kamla Devi’s Plot where kutki seeds were planted a few months ago. Though the resilient plants have
survived but have been severely ignored. Unwanted plants have overgrown the medicinal plant itself. Stones
due to constructions, cement have further tested the plant's resilience.
23rd
December
2019
On the 23rd of December 2019, me and Mr.Manoj Ram left to Kanda Mansingh by a shared
jeep at around 10:20 AM, we reached Kanda Mansingh at around 12:40 PM.
Kanda Mansingh is about 47Km from Pithoragarh, and the cluster our beneficiaries are is a
tiny one with about 10 households. There we met Mr.Thulsi Devi (+91 72485 02298) and
Basanti Devi ( +91 99977 91118 ). On the way down to the village, we saw several Malta
trees. Tulsi Devi has grown Kutki in a very tiny plot on the rooftop of her house. Although
the plants have survived they have not grown any taller in the last 4 months she said. There
are also unwanted plants that have grown in the vicinity of these plants and she has not
cleaned them.
I told her the importance of growing these plants and the benefits it would bring to her. I
corrected her knowledge about the plants and told her the plants would take 3-4 years to
mature and yield. I told her to monitor one single plant by planting one sapling into the pot
and by watering it every day.
She has told me that she would do that and also keep the AA informed about the progress.
Next, in the same village, we met Mrs.Basanti Devi who has been farming for almost 30
years and she was cleaning paddy at the time we met her first. She showed us the plot where

7. she has planted Kutki plants. Although it is a tiny plot, it was reasonably bigger than the
other plot we had seen earlier.
Basanti Devi had grown Kutki in her plot and she said that her plants have not grown and are
of the same height in the past 4 months, I noticed that the plot had been, as suggested by
AA's, been complemented with dry leaves as manure and she had also utilized vegetable
manure as compost. But the unwanted plants had overgrown the kutki plant itself. Also, she
was unaware of the market selling price for the crop she had grown. I told her about its
importance and updated her with the market value of the plants she had grown. I also
replanted one of the Kutki plants into the nearby pot with a 4:1 ratio of soil and manure
mixture and I have asked her to keep the plant under the shade of her house or a tree and, see
the improvements over the next month and report it to Manoj Ram. I have also taken her
son's number and he has assured that he would send photos to me as well.
She has not made any profit in the past 4 months either. From there, we went to the Narayan
Nagar R&D plot. This was the first time I had ever visited an R&D plant of Pragya. Manoj
told me that the R&D plant is taken care of by Patwari of the village. The turnip and broccoli
we have grown looked healthy. There is also Dhaniya and ginger grown near the playhouse
too and they all look very healthy.
Manoj had to report this to the MCS team too and therefore, we were there until 4:00 PM.
From there we left to Mirthi village which is a long walk down to one of the most beautiful
villages I have come across. The village looks very rich in resources and it is flat land below.
I saw few kids play cricket down too and everywhere you see, you would come across lush
fields and they have put mustard, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, ginger as of now. During the
season, they also grow wheat, paddy, and maize too. The village itself is about 200m down
the main road through the jungle-like road and has access to water by a stream that flows
through the village. The village truly looks like how it would look like at the beginning of
any great civilization.
We reached the Demo MAP site of Mr.Mahendra Singh(84768 41662) at the other corner of
the village around 5:20 PM. The demo plant has been completely destroyed and there are no
surviving plants. The reason for the destruction was later told to us Mr. Mahendra Singh
himself. He has prior to this served in the army for 22 yrs. He has also beeñ a farmer for over
30 yrs and has grown MAPs for the first time He told us that the Jungle pigs or wild boars
have destroyed the entire place. I also found it difficult to enter the demo plant as there is too
much water and the mud there was sinking. He has asked us to change the location of the
demo plant to a different one if possible so he could walk every day to look after the
saplings.
Since it was getting too dark he asked us to stay in his house but we had to leave as our
luggage was given to the shopkeeper on the main road. We had to walk back with our mobile
torches on and we finally reached the highway at 7:00 PM. From there we took the jeep to
the nearby town of Didihat.
We checked into the hotel and as I went out to have a look around the place, I came across
three gentlemen and as I started conversing with them they told me about how they have
picked medicinal plants themself as young kids. They say the glaciers at the height of about
3000m to 4000m are full of medicinal plants and that it would be extremely difficult for one
to grow them in Pitthoragrah under the hot sharp sun and the changing climate in the lower

8. Himalayas. They also told me that some of the MAP traders come to Didihat during the
annual Mela or fair in November.
They also introduced me to one of the shops that sell herbs and medicinal plants. He did not
sell the plants we grow in the demo plots. He told us Sarpagandha and Jatamashi do grow in
the lower Himalayas. He also told us that keera Jadi is a very natural growing fungus in the
glaciers and that certain birds with red beak pick them and eat them. There are many
occasions that little children sometimes go to pick the keera Jadi. They also sold to them at
very low prices. China part of the Himalayas apparently also has abundant keera Jadi he said.
They also said that the Chinese consume these as a source of protein too and it has known to
increase strength and focus.
They live by the Didihat main road near the Gandhi statue and told me that I could meet
them any day in the same place. Since it was cold, after dinner, I had to go back and wrap
my day.
on the left is the tiny plot of Mrs. Tulshi Devi, the kutki plants in this plot as although survived but is been
ignored with no weeding. On the right is Mrs. Basanthi Devi showing us the little plot where she has grown
kutki plants. Unwanted plants have outgrown the main plant itself.
The sapling I replanted in a pot, I have placed the pot in a shaded region facilitating only morning and evening
sunlight. I have asked Mrs. Basanthi Devi to monitor its growth and report the progress to Mr. Manoj Ram,
AA, Pithoragarh.

9. The 3-month-old turnip and Brocolli inside the R&D plot in Narayannagar. All the plants look generally
healthy but weeding is still necessary.
On the left: Fresh landslides on the way to Mirthi village. The landslides are due to the construction of a road
to connecting Mirthi to the highway. On the right is the beautiful view of the farming area from the center of
the village.
Another beautiful view of the village Mirthi. The village has the perfect geographical advantage with access to
the stream of water for farming. On the right is the Demo plot of Mr. Mahendra Singh, an ex-serviceman, and
our beneficiary.

10. The completely destroyed state of the demo plot in Mirthi village, although the village has great potential, the
problem is the location of the demo plot which is about a kilometer away from the village on foot. One other
problem is the nuisance of wild boars which is apparently the reason for the destruction of the demo plot.
Mr. Mahendra Singh discusses with me the troubles he went through and the hardship he put into farming
medicinal plants but all in vain.
24th
December
2019
On the 24th of December 2019, I left to Askote from Didihat, I took a jeep at 8:30 AM from
Didihat and reached Ookla at around 9:30 AM. I waited for the jeep to Askote but
unfortunately could not until 10:00 AM, most the jeeps were going to Dharchy but not to
Askote. Finally, I was able to hitch a ride. Mr.Ramesh a driver who was delivering cargo
helped me reach near to Askote. I had to further walk a km inside from there to reach Askote
finally reached at 10:40 AM. With the help of a few women who were carrying fodder and
grass, I found our office on the main road.
I met Mr. Gaurav there who was waiting for me at the office. I had to check into the hotel
first and leave my luggage and, later we together left by a shared jeep and reached Jauljibi
state bank at 12:10 PM, from there, after meeting with Ms.Nisha the AA of the place, I
decided, me and Mr.Gaurav first go to Biniya village, 9km from Jauljibi, it is a village in the
Baluwakhot cluster. (3km from there). The village Biniya is about 40m down the highway.
We met Mr.Tejsingh Khatri (7579169319) there, who is our beneficiary taking care of the
MAP demo plot. We had reached there around 1:20 PM.
He also has 2 poly houses of his own where he has grown potatoes and dhaniya(coriander).
His Demo plant is also close to one of his playhouses. This demo plot of Mr.TejSingh was

11. the only plot so far with all the surviving plants. 9 Sarpaganda, 3 Jatamashi, 3 attes, 5 Kutki
have survived. Out of this, the Sarpaganda has also grown a flower which is a very healthy
sign. Kala Jeera which was also planted has unfortunately died. When we first went to the
dem plot, it was completely covered with unwanted plants that were not removed from over
a month.
As this was the only successful demo plot I had come across, I asked Mr.Tej Singh to kindly
clean all the unwanted plants including rye and mustard that had grown on their own inside
the demonstration plot. I told what a big successful step it is to have the flower in a blooming
stage. Jatamashi takes 3 years to bloom and they are doing fine too. Kutki is a slow-growing
plant and blooms after in the 4th
year. I believe it put some sort of confidence in him and he
started to clean the demo plot. I and Gaurav also helped him clean all the unwanted plants.
The plot later looked much prettier with soil visible and with only medicinal plants. I have
also told him to monitor it every day, have also taken his number and have asked him to send
me photos of the improvement.
Mr. Tejsingh is also an ex-serviceman serving for 18 years before he took retirement. He was
serving the medicinal board as well. He has also attended the medicinal plants and aromatic
plant meetings in his village and also had been to Deharadun in the Garhwal Medicinal plant
meeting and conference. He thinks the Gadhwal part has more potential in terms of
geological location and height. Nonetheless, he added, he would want to be the first in his
village to prove that they could grow medicinal plants too.
He thanked us for our help and offered us tea and said he would keep like to keep in touch
with our team. I also told Ms. Bhavana, AA, who had arrived to monitor the plant and update
it Mr.Deepak, PTC Askote. I also recommend the team to provide some sort of a shade fence
like the once provided before. The shades that protect the plants from the sharp sun in the
morning and afternoon, would increase the chance of its survival. It was also observed that
plants under the shadowed part of the plot looked healthier than the others. This is the only
Demo plant in the Kumoa region we have worked in and has all the surviving plants.
Ms. Bhavana also showed us the plot of Mrs.Parvati Devi, she has grown Brahmi in the little
plot, although all the plants have survived, the sharp sun has decolored the leaves. They have
spots on them and they have not bloomed yet. She also has grown cabbage and mustard and
wheat too. She has a poly house of her own. I have suggested her to remove the unwanted
plants and to provide some sort of shade to the growing plant.
From there, we left for Baluwakhot, with Ms.Bhavana and Mr.Gaurav. Although
Ms.Bhavana arranged a 4 member group, none were involved in farming anymore, neither
did they do any sort of small business of their own. We had to return back to Jauljbi from
there on a shared Jeep. We left by a shared jeep going towards Tham village from Jauljbi.
We reached the highway by 4:30 PM and reached the village on foot by 4:45 PM
Tham village is also one of the villages in our cluster. Ms.Nisha is in charge of the installed
MAP demo plot and the R&D plot too. The Demo MAP and R&D both belong to
Mr.Nandan Singh ( 9410593418). The R&D plant looks good but the Demo plant does not
exist anymore. They have removed it and planted potatoes, mustard in the Demo plot. Mr.
Narayan said all his plants died and He did not want to risk growing the same plants again as
he has only a few sq.m of land and he wants to make the most of it.

12. He said he would want to grow turmeric, ginger and Aloe vera instead, as Medicinal plants.
He said these plants do not grow in their region because of the temperature. He said
Ms.Nisha, AA, and also his daughter has suggested the same to our team in the past. He also
told us that monkeys and wild pigs are trouble in the area. I have recorded all his views and
his suggestions in HD video.
Since it was already 5:40 PM by then, and no taxi would be available to go back to Jauljbi,
we had to come down to the highway. Since there was no taxi available for the day we had to
walk the highway for 3 Km. On the way, we came across a small fox too. We reached
Jaunjbi at around 7:00 PM and we had to hitch a truck from there to Askote and we were
finally able to reach Askote at around 9:00 PM after another km walk to Askote market
where our office is. I ended my day.
Demo plot of Mr. Tej Singh Khatri, the photos are before the plot was cleaned. Unwanted plants had outgrown
and were not removed from months. On the right is the blooming Sarpgandha plant. Almost all the plants
except Kaala Jeera have survived.
2-year-old Jatamansi plant

13. Mr. Gaurav, AA, Askote and Mr. Tej Singh and I cleaned the demo plot and removed all the unwanted plants.
On the right are me and Tej Singh, I informed me about the market value of our herbs and the time it takes for
the plant to mature and to yield.
Mrs. Parvati Devi stands next to her plot where she has grown Brahmi. Standing next to her are the AAs of
Askote Mr. Gaurav and Ms. Bhavna
On the left is the splendid view from the village Tham. On the right is the Demo plant in village Tham where
medicinal plants have been replaced by other crops.

14. Mr. Nandan Singh discusses the problems he faced during MAP farming and put his suggestions forward to us.
He recommends and thinks crops like Ginger, Turmeric and Aloe vera can be lucrative farming in the village
Tham.
The R&D plot in Tham village where all the plants look healthy. A little bit of weeding is necessary though.
25th
December
2019
On 25th
December 2019, we were planning to meet SHGs in Tham village. Ms. Nisha said
she would organize at least 9 participants in it. I was planning to show them the presentation
of the tool on that day. There is one other Demo plot in the region I had not been to in Duti
Bagarh.
My travel plan was to head for Tanakpur on 25th
December 2019 to meet the traders.
Dharchula which is about 50km also apparently has many small traders involved in
medicinal plants and it is also in the Nepal border and is one of the important trade routes for
many centuries. After the approval of Ms. Sejuti, I left for Dharchula. Also, when we went to
Tham village to have the SHG meeting, there were only 2 people from the SHG and the rest
had gone out in search of grass and fodder for the livestock
Boarding a shared Jeep from Jaunjbli, I reached Dharchula at 3:45 PM. Although the
distance is only 52 km it took us 3 hours to reach because of the road cutting works in the
district.

15. Soon after I reached Dharchula, I went to the market area to look for traders of MAPs. Most
of them told me that there are 2 big traders in the Nawab Chowk area, station road. After
obtaining multiple responses and information, I was able to find the shop of the trader people
were referring to.
I went to the traders' shop and asked him if he traded medicinal plants. He immediately
asked me how many kilos I was looking for and asked me to sit too. I told him I was coming
from NGO and this was a value chain project and we were trying to establish a trader to our
farmers who have also grown medicinal plants. At first, he did not believe that we are
growing MAPs in Dharchula. After me showing the pictures of our demo plot, he was a bit
convinced although he remained skeptical. He told me that most plants he received are dried
and the rate depends on how good and potent the plant is. I asked him how he knew the
potency of the plant and he replied the aroma it carries and the time it was harvested will
determine everything.
He said he buys anywhere between 40-50 kg of Kutki every year and they come from Nepal
side, Milam valley, and the Munsyari side. They grow naturally and the locals and Nepalis
pluck it from there and sell it to him. He did not say how much he buys it for or to who he
sells it. He said he sells it to foreigners for expensive price and also some products go to
Rishikesh and Haldwani. When I told him about the market price, I am aware of, he
confirmed that it is, in fact, the market price but also said most trade occurs illegally, and
nobody has a record. He, in fact, said picking MAPs from their habitat without permission is
an offense but still, they manage to reach the market. He said there are several others in
Dharchula who also buy MAPs and are bigger traders than him.
He said people have suggested his name as he is one of the biggest shops in Dharchula,
trading all kinds of Agri produce, grocery, plastics, and metals. He said he would be able
able to give complete information about it on 10 January 2020 as he expects to have MAPs
by then. He goes by the name Sardar in Dharchula but his real name is Mr. Jai pal Singh
(09567222228).
Next, on the parallel road to Mr.Singh, we met with Mr.Tousif who is also a trader of MAPs.
His shop is on Masjid road, next to the mosque. Although I told him I come from NGO, he
did not feel comfortable to share any info with me. He said he used to buy medical plants
from locals. But in the past 3 years, medicinal plants do not make it to Dharchula anymore.
His shop's name is Abdul and Zameer sons. He did not share information on the quantity he
traded but was ready to sell us atees, Kutki, and even Keera Jadi. He also added Munsyari is
a better place to find traders as they trade larger quantities than he does. He said he was busy,
so we had to leave.
It was 6:20 PM by then and the Sun had set, I walked to the National Highway to see if we
could find a jeep to Askote but unfortunately, we could not find any. The temperature was
also falling below 6 degrees. So I decided to check into the hotel and leave early the
following day.

16. On the left is the shopping complex of Mr. Jai Pal Singh on the Nawaz chowk road, Station road, Dharchula.
On the right is the shop of Mr. Tousif on the road parallel to Nawaz chowk and the road leading down to the
market area.
26th
December
2019
On the 26th December 2019, I left Dharchula at around 8:30 AM and it was very cold at the
time. I reached Askote by jeep at around 11:30 AM. After a little refreshment, I and
Mr.Guarav left for Tham village. Since we could not complete the SHG meeting the previous
day due to the shortage of members.
We reached Tham by shared jeep. We had to get down near Jaunjbi cross and take another
Jeep to Tham village. We reached Tham at 2:30 PM. We met Ms.Nisha, AA and her dad,
Mr.Narayan Singh who is also our beneficiary. They were very generous and offered us
lunch.
Nisha organized the SHGs and I discussed with the group the benefits of using advanced
tools. I showed them the presentation on my phone and also the print outs I had. They
quickly responded to us, affirming the benefits of using it.
Under the harvesting process, they all see the serrated sickle and scythe as the best option to
cut grass and fodder for animals. They all travel long distances looking for rich grasslands as
a source of food for their livestock. Under the post-harvesting, they chose maize shellers as
their first choice followed by a pedal-operated paddy thresher for the entire community.
They also say that fruit pickers would help them in picking fruits too. Under tilling tools,
they prefer Powered tiller, garden rake, and grubber. Under weeding tools, they say all the
tools in the list would help them. Powered tiller, double wheel hoe, and hand ridger are
however their first choice.
Under planting tools, rotary dibbler is agreed to benefit them largely because they are able to
sow a variety of seeds with it. Fertilizer broadcaster is also ranked the same. Seed cum
fertilizer drill is also discussed to be of a great benefit to the community altogether. I also
briefed them on what sort of crop they could grow to have the best income in their small
patches of land. They all have about 10-20 nalis or 2 acres of land approximately. They wish
to grow Aloe vera, turmeric, and ginger as an alternative to MAPs. They said Brahmi in the
location have died to severe heat and they could possibly be grown inside poly houses.
They requested us to mitigate the problems pertaining to wild animals that destroy their
farms completely in one night. Wild pigs and monkeys are the greatest enemies of farmers
here. Many things have been tried like having an electric fence, steel fence but still,
somehow the pigs make it inside the plot and eat all the harvest. Monkeys also dig out
onions, radish they added. They also reported that on the 25/12/2019, a family member lost 3

17. of his goats to possibly a leopard. These incidents keep happening in their village and are
one of the most challenging things for them. As most incidents occur in the night it is
difficult for them to monitor too.
They also put forth to me the unavailability of seeds. Resourcing seeds to them would also
greatly help them, they added. They further added that, if Pragya were to resource them with
tools, they would also put their share into it as a community. That way everyone in the
community is responsible for the maintenance and care of the tools.
I appreciated them for their hard work and to keep it going. I also said that most people in the
city are moving towards agriculture and that, agriculture is going to stand out as one of the
best awarding jobs in the future. There was also banter in the discussion and everyone
participated and put out their problems.
I left Tham at around 4:10 PM and got on a shared jeep to Askote and reached Askote at
5:20 PM. As I did not find any bus or taxi to Pithorogarh or to Tanakpur, I had to end my
day and stay at Askote for the night.
The SHG meeting and briefing of agriculture tools for women in the village Tham. The meeting resulted in
many suggestions given by the SHG group, the problems women face as farmers and the remedy they seek. The
conversation was very healthy and had a good-natured banter.

18. The farming plots of some of the SHG members.
Beautiful view from the village Tham, the farming plots of some of the SHG members.
27th
December
2019
On the 27th of December, I left for Pithoragarh from Askote at 9:20 AM and reached oogla
by a jeep. Ogla cross is about 9km from Askote. I had to wait almost an hour for the jeep to
fill up and finally the jeep to Pithorogarh left at 11:20 AM
The jeep reached the destination at 1:20 PM and here again I had to wait long for the alto
taxi to fill up. Since there are few buses going to Tanakpur, the only way of travel is local
jeeps or alto taxis. Tanakpur is about 148 km from Pithoragarh and the road at some places is
as narrow as a road for a single jeep. We went via lohaghat which is also a big town. The
final stretch is completely asphalted i.e. the 30km road to Tanakpur otherwise the entire road
is pretty much kaccha and is under construction. There were also road cuttings which further
delayed travel time.

19. Finally, I reached Tanakpur at 7:40 PM and after half an hour search for a good hotel to stay,
I stayed at a hotel close to the bus station and ended my day.
Road blockade on the way to Tanakpur resulting in a 2-hour delay.
28th
December
2019
On the 28th
of December 2019, I started my day at 10:20 AM. After checking out from the
hotel. I carried all my luggage on me and started the search for traders on the GB Pant Marg.
I had gathered as much information from the restaurants I ate in, the local traders, local
police and the natives.
They all told me that there are 4-5 traders in the market. As I was walked through the busy
market, I found a small man by the name Mr.Bhoop Singh who was selling pretty much
every Medicinal plant we have grown in our demo plot. He is a very small trader that caters
to the local people. He does not export or does not specifically have a storage facility for all
the herbs. He trades atees, Kutki, and ashwagandha. Kutki for 50g is Rs60. Ashwagandha
Rs.40 for 50g. To keep the conversation going, I had to buy a cap and a few herbs too. He
finally redirected me to big traders that have shops on the same road. He also posed for the
camera and let me capture the pictures of the samples.
Next, I went to Shardha brothers which is a recognized trading complex, the proprietor
Mr.Deepak Sharda( 9897603288) sells everything from grains, pulses, and herbs. I have
recorded the audio of our conversation at his office. Though I said I was from NGO he
refused to give me any information saying it is not going to help my purpose, but he said he
would be absolutely willing to buy the product from our beneficiaries. He added, he would
give the best price in the whole of Uttarakhand if the herb was up to his quality standards. He
specified that produce goes to Delhi, Bombay, Hyderabad markets and other big industries
and is also exported to other countries. He considers himself the biggest trader in the Kumoa
region too. He confirmed the prices that we have with us, he added prices are going to shoot
up in the years coming.
He asked me about my background, clicked the picture of my id card and also gave me the
numbers of the Sehakari Sangh Pithoragarh. Apparently, they have all the information about
the quality, price, seeds for MAPs. He said it would be best to contact them and he was not
comfortable giving information on who he trades with to as it is his ethics to not disclose
trade information. He appreciated our effort and has asked us to come back if the project is a
success.

20. From there, I went to the road parallel where I met two other traders. One of the traders has a
shop called Dev Bhumi Ratan herbal, and also has a large complex and trades pretty much
all the Agri produce from grains, pulses, herbs, and vegetables. When I asked him if I could
buy some from him, he said he would sell me only in Kilos and he also jokingly said he
would like to buy in kilos from us too. He showed me Kutki and other herbs too. He did not
let me take his picture but instead gave me his visiting card and told me that we could
contact him anytime. As new competitors are now emerging, and he would also like to open
a new door of prospects. He said attes come in two variants, one meeta ( sweet ) and other
Katwa and the cost of meeta is higher and is 6700Rs/kg. Kutki is about 1200Rs/kg.
Sarpaganda is Rs250/kg Jatamansi is Rs.800/kg, Ashwagandha is rs. 600/kg. Keera Jadi is up
to 5000rs/gm. His contact number is 9897605061.
From there, I moved to the next shop on the same road, it belongs to Mr.Sanjay (
9760027707). He trades Chidi guliya, pharoota, khabwa, Kutki, Jatamansi, grains, pulses,
herbs, spices, and vegetables. Since he was busy, he asked me to come at 2:00 PM, I went
looking for other traders meantime but was less successful. I came across a baker who sold
excellent sweets and has been in business for almost 90 yrs. and he is regarded as Pandit Ji,
though he has no name for his shop or an advertisement board he is very popular and sells
only one sweet.
When it was 2:00 PM, I went back to Mr.sanjay who unfortunately was not there at the time,
but I was able to speak to his son Mr. Ekansh. He said most of the products come from
Munsyari, Milam glacier. They don't export like the Sharada brothers but sell it to small
traders and to the local buyers and sometimes directly to the medicine industry too. Mesvak,
Patanjali, Himalaya all contain these herbs he added. Most of the products come during the
winter from November to February he said. He did not mention anything about how much
they traded or sold. He said products used in Havans are always traded the most. The cost I
mentioned to him was right he confirmed. They would also be happy to trade with us in large
quantities if the produce was potent, the thickness was right, and the aroma was good
dryness right.
I left the shop and left for Haldwani as I was running late on schedule and also there wasn't
much to find in Tanakpur, I boarded on the bus to Haldwani at 3:20 PM and reached
Haldwani via Khatima at 5:30 PM. After familiarising myself with the markets and search
for the hotel, I checked into the hotel near to the market and ended my day at 6:45 PM.
Happy trader Mr. Bhoop Singh

21. JataMansi on the left and Kutki on the right.
Ashwagandha on the left and Jatamansi on the right.
The biggest traders in the region Mr. Sharadha brothers trading complex on the GB pant road, Tanakpur.

22. 29th
December
2019
Having started my day at 9:30 AM, I checked out from the hotel and reached the market area
at 10:45 AM. I walked throughout the busy vegetable market in the morning. Fresh
vegetables were being sold everywhere.
After enquiring shopkeepers and local people in the market about the MAP traders in their
market, I was directed to Sardar Bazar road. I was told that there are 2 big traders in the area
and the rest are spread out throughout Haldwani and only sell little quantities.
Deepak Kirana store and Sitaram Anil Kumar store have been in business for almost 60 and
90 yrs. respectively. They are also next to each other. First, I went to the Deepak Kirana
store, I introduced myself and told the owner of the store (983734797) about the purpose of
the visit. He asked me to come with the product first and then he would buy it. He said
several people have come before and asked him for the details of the trade, but he is
unwilling to share it. He has a large store, and, in the store, you can see he can small
compartment kind of storage, each one named and has almost all herbs. He had
Ashwagandha, Kutki and to keep the conversation and to know the price he sells at, I bought
about 50gm of Ashwagandha for 60rs. He said it was grade B quality and grade A is
expensive and is exported. Details of the exports were however not revealed. I also bought
25gm of Kutki for about 60Rs.
I asked him for his number so we could contact him, and it would help our farmers, he told
me to take the number stuck on to the glass. He did not have atees and he refused to show me
Keera Jadi. But initially, he did tell me he has it and sells it. The cost per gram is Rs3700. I
asked him for a visiting card, and he refused that as well and told me his information is with
‘just dial’ and he has received many unwanted and spam calls. He did say that if the project
of ours is a success, we could go to him and meet him in person.
Next, I went to the store next to the Deepak Kirana store and it is called Sitaram anil Kumar
store. ( 095686 68879) They sell atees, Kutki, Ashwagandha, rosemary, and all the other kinds
of aromatic roots, bark, stem too. At the time Mr. Vibin who was in the store told me that
they only sell it in large quantities. Some of the herbs are sold anywhere between 1-2 quintal
in a year and expensive herbs around 10-20 kg. He also told me that these days fewer people
are selling it to them and that the herbs directly go to huge pharmaceutical companies and
healthcare products. He said we would have to ask the owner Mr. Anil for any other
information. He gave the numbers 8057670802, 05946 250363 and asked us to call us for
further information. I asked him if there are any other traders for herbs in the area and he
said there are small traders on the road catering for the local people.
I was also able to meet 2 people who sold Ashwagandha on the road and they all got the
product from sources like Munsyari. From there I left for the bus stop and went looking for a
bus to Ramnagar. But unfortunately, I got on the bus to Rampur, UP, it is a 2-hour journey
from Haldwani and only when I reached there, I realized I was in the wrong place.
Unfortunately, I had to stay there for the night and end my day. It is a quite big place, but I
wasn't able to find anything about MAP traders.
I planned to go back to Ramnagar the following day which is 2-and-a-half-hour journey from
Rampur.

23. Above are the early morning pictures one of the busiest markets of Haldwani. Spices, vegetables, fruits, etc are
traded is large amounts in this market.

24. Sita Ram anil store on the Sardar Bazar, the road parallel to the highway 109. On the right is the contact
number of the Deepak Kirana store who sells all kinds of herbs and also exports them as well.
Sita ram anil store and Deepak Kirana store on the Sardar Bazar road. These 2 traders are one of the biggest
in Haldwani trading large quantities of herbs. I also bought samples Grade B Kutki and Ashwangnadha from
the Deepak Kirana store. They even have dedicated storage compartments for each medicinal herb.
30th
December
2019
&
On the early morning of 30th December 2019 at around 9:00 AM I left for Kashipur by bus,
I reached Kashipur at around 11:30 AM and from there it was half an hour's journey to
Ramnagar. I reached Ramnagar at 12:30 PM.
I checked into the nearby hotel immediately and freshened up and went looking for the
traders in the market. The market is comparatively smaller than that of Haldwani. I had also

25. 31st
December
2019
checked on the internet for various traders in the area. I asked shopkeepers and locals about
the traders and I was directed to Mr.Ram Avatar and Mr.Krishna Bansari who are the biggest
traders in the Ramnagar market.
When I approached Mr.Krishna and told them about the cause of our project and my purpose
of visit, he told me he had to go somewhere and would be able to meet the next day. He did
not give me contact but told me to come the following day.
After less success, I went looking for Mr.Praveen who is also a big trader in the area. We
said atees, Kutki, and other herbs don't make it to Ramnagar. Ramnagar has more of Havan
related products than medicinal plants. He also suggested that I meet Mr.Krisha who I had
met earlier. He said that these days, the big companies have been buying the product directly
from the source and that the medicinal plant market is drastically declining in the market. He
admitted they sold little quantities during the winter season. He also agreed that his name is
on the list of Herb traders and said that the list was made 6 years ago and things have
changed. He also told Tanakpur Shardha brothers are the largest exporter and traders of
herbs in Uttarakhand.
From there, I left to meet Mr.Ram Avatar. He has been in the business for almost 29 years
and he says he doesn't trade most of the herbs we have grown in our demo plots. He trades
Ashwagandga and Jatamansi only. He said Keera Jadi won't make it to the Ramnagar market
anymore. He said they used to see a lot of it 10 years back but nowadays, people have
realized the benefits of it and they are being sold discreetly. The market price is pretty much
the same as in Tanakpur and Haldwani, although slightly higher. He said the Delhi market
also has many sellers of herbs and they get it directly from Munsyari and the Kali river
glacier and the Ganga river glaciers. He did not reveal the amount he traded but has given me
his visiting card and the number, so we could contact him if everything goes well with the 4-
year project.
I went back to Mr.Krishna again, and he was busy but he did offer me to sit down in the
waiting room, he told me to not click photographs after he saw me click pictures of the front
of his shop. I asked him if I could at least let me see the samples of herbs that he sells so that
I can identify them, but he was unwilling to. He said he exports all of it and he has a valid
license and that he is doing everything right. Although I told him I was from NGO, he must
have thought I was from government audit. He also sells all variety of dry fruits too. The
store is quite big and the godown is huge too. My understanding from the information I got
from the locals is that he trades all the herbs and exports them too and also sells them to
regional markets. He has 2 trucks of his own therefore he must be a big trader. Everybody in
Ramnagar is familiar with his shop for 'Jadi buti'.
I further asked locals if there were any shops that sold herbs and medicinal plants but they all
seem to direct me to the same place, so with no luck and the temperature falling down, I had
to end my day at 5:20 PM and go back to the hotel.
The next day, on 31st December 2019, after checking out early, I went around the market
looking for any new information, because the list I have about traders suggest that there are
many traders in Ramnagar. I did finally come across a shop called Goyal brothers and omm
wholesalers. Goyal brothers were quite friendly and gave some cost information about the
herbs and said they hardly trade about 2-3 kg herbs and that too if they receive it from any
source in Munsyari. They said it is not wise to buy from the local market and sell it back to
the local market again. Therefore, the source has to be either Munsyari or Dharchula for
them to make a profit out of it. He told these days companies and pharmaceuticals are

26. directly in touch with the pickers of the herbs and that's the reason many refuse to give
information about where they buy it from. He said he initially thought of me as someone
who would go to the pickers and buy it from them. After he realized I was from NGO and
understood the purpose of my visit, he said Munsyari Milind glacier and Kali glacier and the
regions higher than 4000m in Uttarakhand is where the herbs grow abundantly. He let me
take a picture of the shop and wished us luck.
With no new information from locals about any other traders, I had to end my search and go
back to the bus stop. There I caught a direct bus to Delhi. I reached Delhi at around 6:45 PM.
I reached Anand vihar from there I took an auto to Kashmiri gate and then took the metro to
Huda city center. I booked a cab to my place sector 48 and reached around 9:50 PM.
Khosi road, on the left side of the road, is the trading complex of Mr. Praveen. On the right side is Mr.
Krishana Bansari’s Trading complex.
Goyal brothers store also on Khosi road who deal and trade with certain herbs and medicinal plants.

27. Overall it was a great experience for me gaining so much information on medicinal plants in
general. I had known little and now my knowledge about these herbs, fungus and mysterious
plants that grow in the glaciers have widened. There is still a lot to learn. The field team
although were hard to contact initially, they coordinated very well in the latter part of the
survey. I enjoyed speaking to our farmers who gave us their opinions, suggestions and stated
their problems. Their hospitality and generosity was something I don't see regularly in the
busy city life. I went on dangerous roads that had some breathtaking sceneries. I was able to
cover 3 clusters in Pithoragarh block: Kanalichina, Satsiling, Kanda Mansingh . 2 blocks in
Dharchula: Duti borogh and Balwakot. I was unable to visit Ajera and Garziya Goan. I was
able to speak to 2 traders in Dharchula, 4 in Tanakpur, 3 in Haldwani and 4 in Ramnagar.
The only place where all our plants have survived is Biniya Goan in Balwakot and it needs a
bit of attention and it might be our hope to have a successful project. The climate is also very
suitable and the soil reports from the AA also suggest it is the place to have a profitable
MAP farming. Mr. Tej Singh is also keen on making some profit out of it and would stay in
touch with me and would regularly send pictures of the plot and he would also update the
same to AA Bhavana. I have asked all AAs to update any little detail about plants to the
MCS and programs team.
A ray of hope.
Submitted by: Mr. Sharath Kumar M S
Dated: 3/1/2020