Faiza Tehseen

The National Medicinal, Aromatic Plants and Herbs Program is an extensive step aimed at introducing a new agricultural segment for women, especially those having a farming background. It is a business growth agenda for them to earn a sustainable livelihood, said Dr. Riffat Tahira, Principal Scientific Officer (PSO) at the Plant Genetic Resource Institute (PGRI of the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC). Talking to WealthPK, Dr Riffat, who leads the program, said that a good number of women work as labourers in the field or as unpaid family helpers and earn very little or nothing at all. “To make them an active part of the country’s economic cycle, it is important to impart them a variety of skills. A lot of educated women are interested in starting their own business.

They own land or can get it on lease. This program was designed by focusing on all these aspects,” she said. Dr. Riffat said that the program will be launched during the current financial year across Pakistan, especially in the underprivileged areas. “Females would be trained to grow medicinal and aromatic herbs and informed about their importance, value, processing, value addition, different ways of preservation, shelf life, etc. They would also be guided about how to approach both the national and international markets. Special sessions would also be arranged concerning the safety, packaging, product designing, branding, marketing, etc. Women interested in exporting their products would also be trained,” she said. “Females without land would be advised to use alternative methods, such as pots, and hydroponics. They would be trained to use their lands or any free area nearby or attached to their residences.

They would also be guided on which type of herbs their areas were best suited for, so that they could get good yields. This would also help to preserve diversity and plant species. There is no specific work on this aspect in the country, which has led to a lot of diversity loss. Through this program, the plants that are removed or endangered can be easily restored and their availability will be made sustainable.” Moreover, Dr. Riffat added that poverty alleviation and turning females into successful entrepreneurs is the core motive of this program. “In its advanced training stages, females would be trained in shared working (as all are not educated) and introduced to digital maps to market their products.

Market experts would also be invited to share their experiences with them. The project has been submitted to the PARC for approval under the US-funded ‘Agricultural Linkage Program (ALP)’. It would create more ease to offer a lot of free training sessions and other supportive components,” she added. It is very important for Pakistan to make women a regular part of the economic cycle to boost the GDP and income, so that they can access food security, health, education, and other social benefits. By exporting medicinal and aromatic herbs along with their value-added products, Pakistan can not only generate good revenues but also earn a hefty foreign exchange.

Credit: INP-WealthPk