Interested in herbs like ashwagandha, lemongrass, aloe vera. Is there a market and scheme.
Which medicinal and aromatic plants are profitable to grow in India?
GGovind Yadav1yr ago · 372 views
5 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓1yr ago
Popular profitable medicinal and aromatic crops include ashwagandha, aloe vera, lemongrass, palmarosa, mentha (mint), tulsi, stevia and isabgol, depending on climate and market. The key risk is marketing, so grow only with a buyback or buyer arrangement, because herb prices are volatile and not all mandis trade them. Aromatic crops like lemongrass and mentha need a distillation unit (own or shared) to sell oil. The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) under AYUSH supports cultivation, nurseries and processing with assistance, often routed through state horticulture or AYUSH departments. Ashwagandha grows well in drier areas like parts of MP and Rajasthan. Start small, tie up with an Ayurveda company, FPO or aggregator, and confirm current NMPB scheme details before investing.
GGovind Yadav1yr ago
I grow ashwagandha in MP with a buyback deal from an Ayurveda firm. Without that fixed buyer I would not risk it, the open market for herbs is unreliable.
RRamswaroop Patidar1yr ago
For aromatic crops like lemongrass or mentha, the money is in the oil, not the leaf, so you need access to a distillation unit. We use a shared community still and sell the oil to traders. If there is no still near you, factor in that cost or stick to crops sold as dry material like ashwagandha root.
KKamla Bai1yr ago
Be cautious of agents who promise guaranteed high returns and sell you costly seeds or saplings for stevia, aloe or some new herb with a buyback that vanishes later. Several farmers got cheated this way. Verify the buyer is a real, established company and get the buyback in writing before you plant.
SSuresh Lodhi1yr ago
Start on a small plot, a quarter or half acre, to learn the crop and confirm your buyer actually pays as promised before scaling. Herb yields and prices in the first year rarely match the rosy projections. Treat the first season as a paid lesson. Cross check expected rates with your AYUSH or horticulture office.