Herbs from Jhilmilafant heading towards europe

Kanchanpur, Feb 9 – Medicinal herbs produced in Jhilmilafant in Rauteli Bichawa-9 of Kanchanpur are being exported to the European market.

 

Lemongrass, menthol, palmarosa, camomile and other medicinal herbs grown in the local community forest are being exported to Europe.

 

The production in 25 hectares of area inside the forest is carried out jointly by 300 users affiliated to the community forest users group, according to Chair of Bageswari Group Shiva Raj Adhikari.

 

The forest users here are making an income of more than one million rupees annually through medical herbs.

 

On an average, 80 kilogram of lemongrass, 70 kilogram of palmarosa, three quintal of menthol and 75 kgs of chamomile is being produced annually, Adhikari said.

 

The herbs process through a processing plant in the community forest is also purchased by traders from Kathmandu, Butwal, Nepalgunj and Biratnagar.

 

The herbs are used in producing herbal oil, cosmetics, scented oil and medicines, and is thus in demand from Europe, said the Community Forest Users Group Chair Bir Bahadur Rokaya.

 

Twenty per cent of the income made from the sale of herbs is invested back to the community forest while the remaining profit is shared among the group members.

 

Meanwhile, carrying on the successes of the herbs farming in the community forest some locals have also begun such farming in their private farmland.

 

"I make an income of more than 400,000 rupees annually through herbs production", says Hari Prasad Chaudhary, who has been cultivating medicinal herbs in his private land.

 

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