Amity Institute for Herbal Research & Studies (AIHRS), Amity University Noida, India
*Corresponding author; Email: charumicro@gmail.com

The main objective of the above study was to work for propagation & popularization of indigenous traditional knowledge of medicinal & aromatic plants.In the present study, the rural women of villages of Western Uttar Pradesh district Saharanpur, India were trained on the cultivation and processing of aromatic plants to produce value added products. The aromatic plants that were selected in the project are lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) and sacred basil (Ocimum sanctum). The plants were selected as per the agro-climatic conditions and the market demand at the project implementation site. The rural women of about 13 villages (in Saharanpur district, Western UP, India) were imparted training in agro-technology of lemongrass and basil and their products such as lemongrass tea, basil tea, lemongrass leaves powder, basil powder, floor cleaner, face-toner, mosquito repellent spray and agarbatti, herbal hand sanitizer, herbal lemongrass bath, herbal face astringent. The rural women were also trained on the extraction of essential oil from lemongrass and basil through onsite demonstration on mini distillation unit. More than 15 training programs have been conducted till date in which around 600 rural women and farmers were imparted training. The aromatic plants were planted on their unused backyard land such as kitchen garden, community land, Gram Panchayat land etc. without disturbing their conventional crops. The market linkage was also developed through the project where the rural women got returns from the sale of their lemongrass and basil leaves. This model is being appreciated and is thus being replicated in other adjoining areas of other district.

Rural women; Women empowerment; Income generation; Aromatic plants; Agro-technology; Value added products

Received: Jan 15, 2018
Revised: August 31, 2018
Accepted: Dec 21, 2018
Published on: June 12, 2019
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.29198/ejss1902
European Journal of Social Sciences (EJSS), 2019 In Press.

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