Industry Group Holds Seminar on Importance of Ashwagandha

A seminar on Ashwagandha cultivation and its applications was held on the second day of a three-day exhibition on traditional medicine organised by the Madurai District Small Scale Industries Association on Saturday.

Inaugurating the seminar, guest of honour, R Sridharan, director and CEO, Puducherry State Board of Medicinal Plants, said that the demand for Ashwagandha has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. “Since COVID-19, a number of health issues have emerged, including weakened immunity and increased general weakness. To address these concerns, the central government, through the Central Research Council, has undertaken efforts to find a treatment for these conditions.”

Ashwagandha has proven to be extremely beneficial in aiding recovery from health issues post-COVID-19. Doctors have identified a demand of 7,000 tonnes, but there was insufficient wild collection and cultivation to meet the demand, he added.

“In response to this, the Ministry of Agriculture advocated for increased cultivation of Ashwagandha and a campaign was launched to promote its cultivation. In Tamil Nadu, a scientist who had earlier introduced different Ashwagandha varieties played a key role. Under his guidance, cultivation has spread across India, including Tamil Nadu, with around 450 farmers involved,” Dr Sridharan said.

“In Siddha medicine, Ashwagandha is Amkkala Chorunam.In Ayurveda, Ashwagandhadi Rehiyam Another doctor said.

In the upcoming sessions, speakers and doctors spoke about various aspects of Ashwagandha including its uses, storage methods, marketing strategies, Ayurvedic, Unani and naturopathic applications.

The seminar saw 36 presenters, including undergraduate, postgraduate and faculty members, presenting research papers. The themes were based on Siddha, Ayurveda and Unani medicine. Prizes were awarded to the best papers. Participants were from Siddha Medical Colleges across Tamil Nadu and Kerala.