As a remedy to the huge shortage of availability of raw materials for manufacturing ayurvedic formulations in Kerala, the Coimbatore Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (CAVP) has put forward one suggestion to the government of Kerala that a Diploma in Medicinal Plant Cultivation (DMPC) would bring eternal solution to the scarcity crisis.
 
While speaking to Pharmabiz, the managing director of CAVP, Dr. P.R. Krishnakumar, said this cultivation programme either under university level or under the technical education board will produce skilled medicinal plant cultivators who will cultivate all kinds of plants and herbs required for the Ayush industry in general. There is plenty of unused and cultivable lands in several parts of Kerala and in the neighboring states. Once qualified cultivators come out of the institutes, they themselves will identify the land and start farming provided the industry group and government are behind them. They can also form societies and associate with the industry.
 
In addition to the diploma course, speciality courses can be started for agricultural science graduates by including ayurveda pharmacology (Dravya gunam- material medica) in their syllabus. This will enable the agricultural scientists to become specialists in medicinal plants, so that they can also enter into the domain of medicinal plant farming and become supplier of raw materials to the manufacturing companies. If special training is required, the State Medicinal Plant Board should make facilities and provide all support.

CAVP has submitted its report to the state government and a copy will be forwarded to the Ministry of Ayush in New Delhi, said Dr. Krishnakumar.
 
When contacted the department of pharmacology at the Government Ayurveda College, Thrippunithura, to check the potential of starting a diploma course in medicinal plant cultivation, the HoD, Prof. Dr. P Y. Anzary said it is a welcome idea, but there should be an ayurvedic approach. Universities can start advanced courses in the subject. Manufacturing companies should come forward to absorb the aspiring plant farmers and help them with all supports. He said speciality courses can also be started as ‘post diploma course’.
 
Dr. Anzary further said the aspiring cultivators should be taught how to preserve the existing herbs and medicinal plants in addition to train them how to cultivate non-available herbs. All the growers of medicinal plants must know one significant thing and careful of it while harvesting the produce, ie, sustainable harvest. While harvesting the produce, the process will not spoil the tree or the plant. For overcoming the crisis of shortage, like gardening, the land can be re-planned for medicinal plant cultivation, said the professor as a suggestion.
 
Whereas, foreseeing that there is all probability for setbacks for the ayurvedic doctors in their profession if the agricultural science graduates are taught to grow medicinal plants, Dr. Roy B. Unnithan, an ayurveda physician in Alappuzha district hospital said once they qualify in herbal farming, they will try to practice ayurveda system and measures should be taken to thwart such attempts.
 
At present, a graduate in ayurvedic science concentrates on two areas, practicing the profession and manufacturing the medicines. They are not entering into medicinal plant cultivation.