The Ministry of AYUSH is promoting large scale cultivation of medicinal plants on farmers' land to reduce the pressure on wild population of medicinal plants species under the National AYUSH Mission. The Ministry provides financial assistance in the form of subsidy at the rate of 30 per cent, 50 per cent and 75 per cent of cost of cultivation to farmers. This information was given by the Minister of AYUSH, Mr. Shripad Yesso Naik in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today. <br/><br/>As per Botanical Survey of India, out of 8,000 medicinal plants only 53 species are under threatened categories like Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable. The Government is not neglecting the endangered species of plants and to look into all matters, the Government has already set up National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) under the Ministry in 2000. Since its inception NMPB is working towards conservation and development of medicinal plants.