Jamshedpur, Sept. 28: Medicinal plants seem to be the most sought after product at the trade fair, Canvas India 2006, organised by event management company, The Concept, at Gopal Maidan in the steel city.

Visitors are flocking to the medicinal plants’ booth set up by the state forest and environment ministry. Apart from selling medicinal and cash plants, the kiosk also provides information related to medicinal and herbal plants to the visitors.

Omprakash Poddar, the range officer deputed at the stall to sell medicinal and cash plants, said their stocks were sold out in no time at all.

“All of the plants we brought with us have been sold. The others, who could not buy, were advised to purchase medicinal and other plants from the Ghatshila nursery. We had brought limited stock of medicinal plants, which were sold in the last three days,” Poddar added.

At least 20 species of medicinal plants were exhibited in jars at the kiosk. In addition of medicinal plant, cash plants such as cashew are also stocked here for interested buyers.

Plants like sarpgandha, aparajita and terminalia chebula (harra) have been in great demand due to their healing powers, he added.

Divisional forest officer of Dhalbhum A.T. Mishra said the district wing of the forest and environment ministry had set up the booth to inform people about the importance of the medicinal plants found in the state.

“The forests of Jharkhand is full of medicinal and herbal plants. These plants are used for healing chronic diseases in ayurvedic treatment,” Mishra said.

Favourable weather and other agreeable conditions in these forests make the green cover “rich” with medicinal and herbal plants, he explained.

“These plants, which are used to manufacture medicines, are found in various parts of the state. In fact, the southern part of state is a storehouse of rare species of herbal plants,” Mishra added.

The Dalbhum Forest Division grows medicinal plants at nurseries in the district. Medicinal plants are primarily grown in the Ghatshila nursery, while other nurseries in the state specialise in producing fruit plants, such as cashew.

The expo, promoted by Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industries, will conclude on September 29.