Rolpa, Nov. 15,, A factory established in Sulichaur, the eastern belt in Rolpa district, has started productions of oil through processing of medicinal herbs available in the locality.
The produces from the company are exported to Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan and other market areas, the industry officials said. Established with the investment of Rs 15 million, a total of 35 people have been employed, proprietor of the industry Tek Bahadur Ghartimagar said. Ghartimagar himself was associated with the business of medicinal herbs for long.
According to Ghartimagar, the productions of the company are exported to the bigger cities as they are not sold in the local market due to their higher prices.
He said that cinnamon, bay leaf (Cinnamomum tamala), Calamus (Acorus Calamus), muskroot and many other locally available herbs are processed to produce the hair oil.
Ghartimagar shared that mug-wort (Artemisia vulgaris) is also being used to produce insecticide without the use of chemical substances and it is used to contain the foe insects in the crops.
He said that the local farmers are also encouraged to produce grass and herbs to avert the possible crisis of the raw materials needed for the factory as the materials produced in community forests and private forests could not meet the rising demand for raw materials.
Ghartimagar is of the view that the income of the community forests could be increased by doing farming of the medicinal herbs. “It would increase the income of community forests and also ensures sustainability of the industries,” he adds.
Rolpa is considered as a good source of many medicinal herbs where the local residents are making good income from the sale of the products. However, some herbs are yet to be identified despite their high values.
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