Himalaya Drug Company, a herbal health and personalcare company, on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government's department of prisons and correctional services to train prisoners in cultivating medicinal herbs.
Following the training, jail inmates would undertake cultivation of medicinal herbs for Himalaya at the prison farm in Prisoners' Agricultural Colony in Anantapur district under phase 1 of the initiative. The company would supply seeds and provide technical assistance to grow medicinal crops in the prison farm, according to a press release.
“To begin with, the inmates will cultivate the herb Alfalfa as it can be planted any time during the year. Himalaya will then purchase the deliverable produce from the prisons department. In addition to Alfalfa, Himalaya will also purchase dried Neem leaves collected from the certified organic area. Once the system begins to operate smoothly and efficiently, Himalaya will explore the possibility of scaling up the project,” the press release said.
Those who take part in cultivation of herbal medicinal plants will earn a regular monthly income besides acquiring essential skills in the process, it said. A similar project is under way in Karnataka on a 4-acre plot.
