Herbs Cultivation For More Income

By Khilendra Basnyat

EVEN in ancient time Nepal had a flourishing trade in herbs with the neighbouring countries. One of the reasons for this could be Nepal's varied climate and terrain, which helped many plant species having diverse medicinal uses to take root and flourish.

Sustainable

In fact, leasehold forestry has been popularising farming of medicinal herbs and vegetation. It has been identified as the vehicle of social and economic development on a sustainable footing.
Medicinal herbs in mountainous districts are increasingly finding place in local and international markets. Actually, the districts of Karnali zone are considered the store of different kinds of herbs. These districts have varied herbs found in large quantity, most of them used for curing diseases.
Some of the important herbs found in these districts are lothsalla, chirainto, paanchole, argalo, etc. Nepalese industries like Dabur Nepal Limited (DNL) have been collecting these herbs found in the high altitude forests.

Local farmers, who have understood the commercial values of the herbs found in forests, have started their farming. Herb collectors should pay revenue in terms of the quantity of herbs. During the last fiscal year, millions of rupees were collected as revenue from medicinal herbs. A huge amount was earned from the leaves of tothsalla which were collected by DNL. Similarly, some revenue was also obtained from Chirainto, sugandhwaal, etc.

It has been found out that several industries in the mountainous districts and outside them have been using herbs as raw materials for their production. There is no denying that if the utilisation of herbs gets widely popular, our country will have to rely less on the impact of allopathic medicines from other countries. According to the concerned authorities, the topography in mountainous districts in an ideal setting for herbs farming than other agricultural crops. In addition, medicinal plants find promising markets, both locally and internationally.

Given the potential of the benefits from herbs, if the local farmers are provided incentives for farming medicinal plants, their living standards would be raised. To promote herbs cultivation, DNL has been asked to work in concert with IFAD in about 16 remote districts as part of their income generation. In this regard, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) has already been signed. Under this MOU, DNL will extend assistance.

The loan for this has already been sanctioned which is at US $ 36 million. If this loan is used well, there is no doubt that farming herbs of medicinal values will give more popularity and help generate more income of the local people. Although MOU was signed some months ago, nothing much has happened on working out the implementation of programmes, which include the cultivation of adequate plants and herbs of medicinal values.

Even today, Nepalese herbs are in high demand, especially-those, which are used in making traditional medicines. However, this high demand seems to be leading to a rapid depletion of plant species having medicinal utility. This, in addition to the indiscriminate decimation of the remaining forests, could lead to the extinction of medicinal plants from our country. Since the past few decades the government has been placing emphasis on conservation areas. These areas possess the rarest herbal plants. It has been proclaimed that the Arun Conservation Area comprises 67 species of precious herbs. The increasing rate of herb extraction from these areas is posing a serious danger towards the conservation areas. In spite of stringent rules and regulations of not allowing exportation of unprocessed herbs hundreds of million dollars worth of herbal plants are smuggled out of the country on a regular basis.

It this trend continues and if the government does not take prompt actions to check extraction and exploitation of conservation areas for commercial purposes, these may one day be looked upon as a reservation of rare herbs and plants.

To protect these valuable plant species from extinction, the concerned authorities have come up with necessary initiatives, such as issuing permits to the herb gatherers and explorers. However, they need to do more if these valuable medicinal plants are not to go out of extinction in the country.
It is common knowledge that the herb gatherers tend to harvest these medicinal plants recklessly, thereby not giving these plants the much-needed change to regenerate.

Imparting herb harvesting training to the herb gatherers could reduce the on-going damage to both these valuable plants and ecosystems. If this country is to continue exporting herbs in future, then the concerned authorities should take concrete steps to protect the forests, the natural habitats of the medicinal plants from further depletion and decimation. Likewise, reforestation programmes should be launched, particularly in areas where valuable medicinal plants grow adequately. In reality, extensive popularisation of herb cultivation among forest users groups and farmers could greatly mitigate the pressure on these medicinal plants in their natural habitation, thereby ensuring their continued services.

In recent years, wild biological and genetic resources, plants medicinal herbs etc, have good market value. The annual income of medicinal herbs is about 10 million dollars. However, about 90 per cent of the herbs are exported to India at low prices because of the absence of processing facilities inside the country.

To promote herbs cultivation, moves to collect, document and store the seeds or the other regenerative parts of these valuable medicinal plants for further use should be utilised. Apart from this, steps to establish pharmaceutical companies should be established so that they would lead to gainful utilisation of these herbs plants derivatives as well as cheaper medicines for the people. Despite continuing efforts for poverty alleviation, about half of the total population of our country still lives in abject poverty. Development activists claim that the way out of the grinding poverty lies in introducing income generation activities introduced as part of the integrated schemes. Donors could find avenues on more synchronised schemes than at present.

Publicity

Actually herbs cultivation can help augment local people's income and thus reduce poverty. However, it is essential to give wide publicity to the importance of herbs cultivation to those who are interested in such cultivation.

Talking Literature

By Babu Ram Neupane

THERE is one theory of language, which defines it as a means of dissipation of superfluous nervous energy. If language does so then it can never be glorified to that extent which is done in the domain of literature. The postmodern theory of literature tends to tilt to this idea. Literature is always already written but we rewrite it bit by bit getting from the collective unconscious. The public memory is short but this causes embarrassment to those who try to deceive it by misunderstanding it.

It would be relevant to dwell on a recent media attention regarding the use of English language in the context of Nepali writing. The great poet of Nepal served the point of departure for this intellectual duet clearly divided into two camps-one led by the so called authority (in the sense they are involved in the institution responsible for the promotion of English language and literature ) while the other represented slightly pseudo-occidental bias to gain an upper hand in this matter. They included a budding generation of Nepali writers writing in English. Judging from a neutral platform they were extremely aggressive towards each other.

We can't count literature as an entity without historical assessment of the immediate circumstances. It is directly influenced by the spatio-temporal dimensions of any society. The moment we become oblivious of the instigators of awareness we are entirely prejudiced to the essence of writing. If we exaggerate the prevalent tendencies in vogue among the people, we will not be playing instrumental role in manifesting the reality into fiction. They always clash with each other and the tension creates an aesthetic experience. This experience is never stale. However, novelty in writing is possible only when the artist has original skills.

Unfortunately, those two camps have ignored this platitude while indulging in an unsound dispute. Whatever be the starting point the dispute had culminated in the most prosaic atmosphere. Many readers were stunned to find impatient response from the touchstones of the establishment. The relatively new band of writers seemed to sponsor an intrusive novice commentator for the sake of advocating their brand and cause. They exploited the loopholes in the Nepali press which is never without some objectionable traits including the highlighting of the things which matter the least. This might be the instance of the lack of objective journalism. Nepali intelligentsia has encouraged this shortcoming by backing and baking false political coverage favourable for the aspiring gossips. Any successful writer tries to catch the sentiments of the age. Those who fail to do so attempt to drag controversy in to halt the pace of expression. We have one tainting feature of our criticism that is what we do with acquaintances. The eulogy of known ones and derision of hidden talent established by the Nepali critics who have done this literature shame by their personal and erratic stance sans evidence have left it replete with misinterpretation. Literature is the treasure of the culture and nation. But it "...makes nothing happen " to quote W.H.Auden. This is not the dismissal of the importance of the literature but a protest against our mentality which seeks to find the dark clouds but not the silver linings. On the other hand having consensus on the national literature is to be ready for hailing the end of imagination. Imagination knows no boundaries. It is just a foolishness to try to tame the directions of literature. Only morality pays in this regard.

Gloomy Healthcare

By P.Gopakumar

THERE is a growing need for the people sector to play a bigger role in healthcare as the present system seems to be unsuitable to large sections in Nepal. It is a dismal scenario where the rich are dangerously over investigated and over medicated at five star hospitals. The middle class is trying to imitate the rich and in that process end up pauperised. In the case of poor and marginalised people, they are diverting part of their limited expenditure on food to get injections and drugs of the wrong type. Such act of spending money on health is second only to dowry system as the cause of rural indebtedness.

Inappropriate

A major part of our human and financial resources amounting to Rs.500 crores (equivalent to five per cent of gross domestic product) is diverted from health to therapeutic medical and healthcare even after some thirteen years after the establishment of democracy. We are aping the most inappropriate aspects of the western model. Obviously, we have not been able to put positive aspects of the western (allopathic) system to good use.

The system has provided us knowledge of microbes, and through it simple, cheap and effective tools to control most of the communicable diseases. Using this knowledge and simple technology we were able to eradicate smallpox and, control malaria, cholera and plague - the four major diseases of a century back Nepal - on a countrywide scale within 15 years. Unfortunately, despite vastly improved knowledge, technical infrastructure, medical manpower and increased financial inputs these diseases along with tuberculosis and waterborne diseases, are re-emerging. This has been particularly apparent in the 90s after the worldwide phenomenon - globalisation.

Though the majority of our population is rural, 70 per cent of our resources serve the 30 per cent urban population. This disparity is far worse in the quality of services, since the best is appropriated by 15 per cent who live in affluent urban enclave. No, there is potential scope for traditional healthcare system to play a great role. Herbal remedies and yoga are still a part of the health culture of the people. These systems are based on an entirely different concept and philosophy of an advanced and ancient civilisation that emphasised health.

At the time of country's first political transformation to democracy, there was the opportunity to integrate the best aspects of allopathy (for communicable diseases and surgery) and our own holistic concepts and health practices. Some like the late professor K N Udapa were able to achieve this in institutions like Benares Hindu University, India. Integration of traditional system of medicine requires redefining of our concepts of physical, mental and spiritual health, as well as of illness care. This influences the role that people themselves have to play in shaping their own health, and that of their community and defining the supportive, not appropriative role of the government, private sector and non-governmental agencies.

Many of us have witnessed or at least read about the painful experiences of patients especially leprosy with severe deformities, isolated behind wire and treated like criminals. Is there any reason why they should be treated to such indignity, for no faults of theirs?

If countries like China are achieving high growth rates, it is largely because their people are educated, reasonably healthy and well nourished. It is because women enjoy greater freedom. If Nepal has to achieve and sustain a growth rate of 6-8 per cent per annum, then the government must invest in people in their health education and nutritional well-being.

There are three things, which can be done now which could have profound impact on the future of the country. First, Nepal needs to give a big push to community health programmes. This can happen only if the village level health centres are revitalised. Today majority of them are dilapidated and run down. The government ought to take initiatives to fund the reconstruction and repair of such centres and to ensure essential facilities. Once such centres are refurbished, then future provision can be made to ensure routine repair and maintenance.

Second, it is time for the government budget to review its support to feeding programmes that claim to improve child nutrition. There is more to tackling malnutrition than feeding the government needs to invest in early childhood care, in public education, in improving healthcare, and in giving women greater role to participate in decision making.

Third, Nepal has been faltering on it commitments to children. There has been a sharp decline in the rates of improvement in child survival during the 1990s. Malnutrition remains high and even the process of eliminating child labour is slow.

There is another related issue. Attempts at top-down deliveries of health and education programme have met with limited success. Fortunately, we now have village development committees (VDCs) in place throughout the country. Local governance is beginning to become a reality. The new budget should specify new mechanisms whereby resources allocated for healthcare and basic education can reach the village development committees and locally elected bodies directly.

Dynamism

The performance of the social sectors under the period of reforms has been most disappointing. Even today more than 50 per cent of Nepalese women cannot read and write. Almost a third of babies are of low-birth weight. Maternal mortality rate is alarming. There is only a marginal growth of fully immunised children. A new dynamism must be injected into the social sector.