New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS):  The Ayush Ministry's National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) has launched a nationwide campaign to promote cultivation of medicinal plants as part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.

During the campaign, cultivation of medicinal plants will be undertaken on 75,000 hectares of land in the next one year across the country.

The programme is second in the series of programmes being organised by the ministry under the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.

The campaign started from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and Pune in Maharashtra.

The campaign in Uttar Pradesh was launched in the presence of UP Minister of State for Ayush Dharam Singh Saini, Research Officer of NMPB, Sunil Dutt and officials of Ayush Ministry.

Five species of medicinal plants, comprising Night-flowering Jasmine (Parijat), Golden Apple (Bel), Margosa Tree (Neem), Indian Ginseng (Ashwagandha) and Indian Blackberry (Jamun), were distributed free of cost to 150 farmers.

Meanwhile, 750 Jamun saplings were separately distributed free of cost to the farmers.

A similar event was held in Pune.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer, NMPB, Dr Chandra Shekhar Sanwal said that this will boost the supply of medicinal plants in the country.

A total of 7,500 medicinal plants were distributed on the occasion.

A target of distributing 75,000 saplings has been set under the programme.

Union Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has said that the country has immense potential in the field of medicinal plants and cultivation of medicinal plants on 75,000 hectares of land will ensure availability of medicines in the country. It will also be a big source of income for the farmers.

"This will make the country self-reliant in the field of medicines. Significantly, in the last 1.5 years, the market of medicinal plants has increased in a big way not only in India but all over the world. This is the reason that Ashwagandha has been the third best-selling product in America," he added.