Medicinal plants to cure the ailments of livestock’s

Though villagers graze their cattle in fields, many of them are not aware of the medicinal properties of the plants and which particular plant species to feed upon if the livestock’s suffered from any ailment.

In such a scenario, for the first of its kind, Mysore Milk Union (MYMUL), started the Medicinal Plant Garden in July 2011 on an acre land in Alanahalli, where various types of herbs and shrubs having medicinal properties are grown.  

The name of the plant and its medicinal properties have been displayed in a board under each plot in Kannada to help farmers. Not only livestock’s are benefited by this, whereas even humans can use some of this plants for ailments.

Seeing the tremendous response it received, Mandya Milk Union is also planning to develop a similar plot in its place. Plots are ready in Mandya and planting will be taken up by the end of this month. In addition to this various kinds of hybrid fodder for the cattle will be grown exclusively on a six acre area.

Around 80 different kinds of medicinal plants are being grown in the garden.

Plants like Chakramuni used for the treatment of ulcer; Hippli fruits and leaves (piper congum) for treating cough, respiratory problems, headache and throat infection, Limbe Hullu (Lemon Grass) also used for treating coughs; Adu Soge a plant whose roots and leaves are used to stop bleeding caused by minor cuts
and various other plants that are grown here will be given away to farmers free of cost.

“The majority of the plants grown in the garden can be seen at village side. We will educate farmers and ask them to use medicinal plants apart from allopathic medicines. Both humans as well as domesticated animals,” says MS Lakshmi Prasad Yadav of MYMUL.

“After visiting this garden, I got an idea how to use plants easily available in our own backyards for treating minor ailments before visiting a Doctor,” says Mangala, woman farmer of KR Nagar.

-----------------------

Meet the man behind the project

HJ Jagadeesh an agriculture graduate is the brain child of this project who is also Manager, Procurement and Input, Mandya Milk Union. Jagadeesh took up the initiative to grow medicinal plants when he was posted in Mysore Milk Union (MYMUL), which he now wants to replicate in his new posting at the Mandya Milk Union.

He said, “when I was posted at Dakshina Kannada, I visited Parampara where I observed that cattle and other animals suffering from minor ailments were treated by feeding them with plants having medicinal properties. Impressed over it, I thought of developing a garden exclusively for growing medicinal plants in DK. Due to lack of suitable place it remained a dream. Only when I was transferred to Mysore, I was successful in realising my dream.”

'After witnessing the tremendous good response the medicinal garden received in Mysore, now I am starting a similar garden one in Mandya too. Youth should be made aware of the plants and shrubs that grow around us and their usefulness. Consuming such medicinal plants will help strengthen our body's natural resistance in the long run,' he added.