Sri Lanka imports medicinal plants from India at a cost of $ 9mn

Medicinal plants used for Ayurvedic and Indigenous medicine such as Aralu (Terminalia chebula), Bulu (Terminalia bilirica) and Nellie (Emblica officinalis) were imported from India at a cost of $ 9 million.

Therefore, the Ministry suggested to the Presidential Task Force that a program be initiated to ensure that these plants can be grown locally.

Chairman of the Task Force, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that under the National Tree Planting Program implemented by the Ministry, these trees and plants could be widely grown in forest areas as well as along roadsides.

He said that although there are sufficient resources in the country, a formal program is not being implemented and such a mechanism should be initiated in consultation with the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine.