Endangered
Kutki Herb
Prelims:
Environment and Ecology, International
Environmental Conventions, Geography
Mains:
General
Studies Paper II-Government Policies and Interventions, Environment and
Biodiversity
Current
relevance:
Farmers in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh have
adopted a sustainable cultivation
and harvesting model for Kutki
(Picrorhiza kurroa), an endangered
Himalayan medicinal herb.
Highlights:
1.
Kutki is native to the alpine and sub-alpine regions
of the Himalayas.
2.
It is widely used in traditional and modern
medicine, with its stolon, node-bearing stem that grows along the soil
surface serving as the medicinally valuable part.
3.
It has been categorised as an endangered
species on the IUCN Red List, one of the most threatened medicinal plants
in the Himalayan region.
4.
It is included in Appendix II of the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES).
Benefits of the Initiative:
1. Conservation of an Endangered Species
Cultivating on private
farmland helps reduce harvesting pressure on wild populations and contributes
to its ex-situ conservation.
2. Sustainable Rural Livelihoods
Kutki cultivation offers
an additional source of income to farmers living in remote Himalayan areas.
3. Reduction in Illegal and Destructive Collection
A steady supply of
farm-grown Kutki can lessen dependence on illegal and unsustainable collection
from natural habitats.
4. Scientific Agriculture
The initiative promotes
the adoption of scientifically developed cultivation and sustainable harvesting
techniques among farmers.
5. Medicinal Plant
Economy
Organised production of
Kutki can support stable supply chains for pharmaceutical companies and
traditional medicine systems.
6. Climate-resilient Mountain Agriculture
The cultivation of high-value
medicinal plants can diversify farmers’ incomes in mountain regions where
conventional agriculture is constrained by difficult terrain and climatic
conditions.
Source:
THE HINDU - https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/himachal-pradesh/himachal-farmers-pioneer-sustainable-cultivation-of-endangered-himalayan-herb-kutki/article71257294.ece