Medicinal plant research centre to be established

Ruwanthi Abeyakoon

COLOMBO: Indigenous Medicine Ministry has allocated Rs. 1,479,000 to establish a research centre for medical plants to conserve all available indigenous medicinal plants in Sri Lanka. The Secretary of the Ministry Asoka Malimage has signed an agreement with the Agricultural Department of the Ruhuna University in regard to this, recently.

Ministry has offered 50 acres of land in Kamburupitiya, Matara as a herbal garden to carry out researches to preserve and multiply the endangered and valuable species using tissue culture and other techniques.

"This project will develop the agro-technology for all medical plants and introduce new herbal products like Osu flavoured tea and other value added products.

We will also launch a web site with photographs and other records. Publication of journals, books, manuals and audio/video cassettes will also be developed," said the Project Director Nalin Attanayake. Attanayake said that awareness programmes will be launched for schoolchildren, villagers and private institutions. "Research on all aspects of herbal plants will be facilitated for university students, local and foreign scientists, ayurvedic physicians and other interested groups," he said.

Ministry will also start Eco-tourism programmes at the proposed medicinal plant garden. "Ayurvedic native health clinics will also be established.

The project includes the training centres to provide training on growing medicinal plant with a high demand," Attanayake added.