The Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan has urged the farmers and entrepreneurs engaged in cultivation, processing of medicinal and aromatic plants to adopt improved technologies and improved varieties for raising their income. Speaking at a Kisan Mela organized at CSIR-Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants CSIR-CIMAP in Lucknow ?yesterday, he said, this would also help in production of quality raw material demanded by user industries.? <br/><br/>The Minister said, medicinal and aromatic plants are the valuable green wealth of the country. He said, these should be sustainably used for creating livelihood opportunities of poor people residing in rural areas. He also said, there are immense possibilities for promotion of production of medicinal and aromatic plants and industries by startups. Dr Harsh Vardhan called upon the scientists to develop improved technologies for conservation and cultivation of these plants keeping in view the changing climatic conditions and limited as well as diminishing agriculture resources. <br/><br/>He said, farmers should be apprised regularly about the new developments being made in the research laboratories by organizing awareness meets, workshops and farmers fairs in different parts of the country.<br/>AIR correspondent reports that? Dr Harsh Vardhan lauded the efforts made by CSIR-CIMAP in reaching the unreached. The Minister said that these efforts should be given a new push for making visible impact by creating new avenues for self-employment in rural sector. <br/><br/>He expressed satisfaction on development and release of improved varieties of essential oil bearing lemongrass and anti-malarial drug-producing artemisinin-rich Artemisia annua by CSIR-CIMAP. The Minister pointed out that participation of user industries should be ensured for promotion of each aromatic and medicinal plant so that poor farmers and entrepreneurs should not face difficulty in marketing of their produce. <br/><br/>About 4000 farmers and entrepreneurs from UP, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha and others states of the country participated in the Kisan Mela.