Green economics and value chain analysis of a cultivated medicinal plant (Pipla) from India

In this paper, we have discussed about economics and value chain for a medicinal plant Piper longum Linn. Cultivated by village-based marginal farmers from Odisha state of India, whose livelihoods are significantly supported by the commercial scale production of this plant. A field-based investigation was carried out in Koraput district of Odisha state of south east India, where a total of 250 households from eight villages were found engaged in the production of this medicinal plant species. We also carried out field survey in other places like Madgul in nearby Andhra Pradesh state and later in Delhi to analyse marketing and value chain of this plant at middlemen and wholesale dealer level respectively. The findings revealed that the primary and wholesale secondary markets are mostly dominated by the middlemen who cause inflated prices due to lack of competition in the medicinal plants value chain system. Some steps which need to be taken at the Central and State Governments level to improve upon the conditions of poor growers of this plant and for improved marketing of medicinal plants in the country have been suggested.