MENTHA PRODUCTION PRO'S AND CON'S

Mentha production Pro's and Con's

In view of reduction yield due to mono-cultivation, technical guidance to

the farmers on improving the yield of the mentha crop is the need of the

hour. For this purpose extension agency of the State Department of

agriculture has to create awareness among farmers either to change the

variety or to go for crop rotations so that the yields will improve

 There are several traders who are operating since many years and have

their own network to indulge in cartailing and thereby giving low price to

the farmers. Thus there is a need to induce modern marketing system

wherein farmers can come together in-group to enhance their bargaining

power so that farmers can fetch better price realization. Marketing

Board/Marketing department of the state can induce this phenomenon.

The low price problem can also be solved by announcing the minimum

support price well in advance of harvesting season to the mentha raw

material as well as mentha oil by the Commission on Cost and Price

(CACP). This measure will overcome the problem of crash in the price

during harvesting season.

 It is known fact that, there is a Medicinal Plants Board to look after affairs

of medicinal crops in the country. This Board mainly operates to promote

cultivation, processing, extension and marketing of medicinal plant only.

Hence it is recommended that, the Board can also cover the aromatic

plants or a separate Board for aromatic plants can be setup to look after

problems faced by essential oil industry.

 Pricing for mentha oil is not based on the quality and it is decided on crude

method by the processor and trader at farmers field level. Hence there is a

need to arrange quality-testing laboratory to overcome this problem so

that, price discovery would be based on the quality parameters.

 Marketing margin analysis revealed that, farmers are getting lesser margin

for their produce. Hence, state marketing agency is required to arrange

direct procurement by the processors by minimizing the intermediaries

and thereby increasing share of producer in consumer rupee.

Most of the farmers are under the clutches of financial obligation of the

traders and are compelled to sell their produce at the price quoted by the

traders. Public sector financial institutions can extend the credit to the

farmers in the study area by fixing appropriate scale of finance to

overcome this problem.

There is a lack of modern and efficient processing technology in the study

area. Hence, State government is required to create modern processing

facilities to realize quality mentha oil and thereby giving best price to the

producer of mentha crop.