Need to protect medicinal plants, develop value added products: Dr Veto
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 05 2026: Time has come to protect and preserve the abundantly growing medicinal plants in the State and develop value added products, said Director of YAS, Government of Manipur Dr Mayengbam Veto.

He was speaking at an awareness programme on Shatavari (Nungarei) jointly organised by Khongnangthaba University, Imphal and National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH at Khongnangthaba University Auditorium, Khurai.

Dr Veto said Manipur falls under the Indo-Myanmar Biodiversity Hotspot and around 1200 plants with medicinal value are found in the State.

Manipur Science and Technology Council (MASTEC) has identified and documented 400 of them, and the remaining need to be documented, he added.

Dean & Director, AYUSH, Khongnangthaba University Dr Aribam Guneshwor Sharma said Shatavari, known as Nungarei in Manipuri and Asparagus racemosus in English, has immense medicinal value but is disappearing due to lack of awareness.

The programme aims to make people aware of its nutritional value and use in daily life, he said.

He said the plant can protect babies from infection, enhance memory, help in infertility issues in both men and women, and treat menstrual irregularities.

It also has antibiotic, antioxidant and antidiabetic properties.

If cultivated by farmers in vacant spaces, it can generate income and improve health care, he added.

Vice Chancellor Prof Naorem Joykumar Singh and Prof RK Gambhir Singh attended as president and guest of honour respectively.

The technical session included talks on cultivation practices, therapeutic potential, entrepreneurship and pharmacognosy of Shatavari by experts from AYUSH Hospital, MSME-Technology Centre and Kangleipak Medical and Nursing Institute.

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