Market Information System for Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants

Medicinal plants, by complementing timber based management, offer a basis for managing forests in a sustainable manner. One of the important steps in realizing this prospect is to ensure better economic returns to collectors and cultivators of medicinal plants. Availability and access to market information is key to improving returns to producers of medicinal plants. The information is needed on demand, supply, end uses, distribution channels, product promotion, prices, marketing environment and institutions related to marketing. Even simple interventions such as better methods of collection, storage, grading and local level value addition can substantially improve returns to local communities. The paper discuss about to importance of market information, marketing capabilities, establishment of community based market information system (MIS), collection of market information, institutional and infrastructural support dissemination of market information and level of MIS.