Sector
Agriculture
Keyword

Medicinal Plants Gatherer, Herb Gatherer

Minimum ? No entry barrier

Not required

The tasks a Gatherer, Medicinal Herbs is expected to perform include:Collecting leaves, fruits, roots, etc. of herbs or other plants for preparing different kinds of medicines

Visiting gardens, forests and jungles for collecting samples

Collecting samples of dried fruits, leaves, seeds and roots of medicinal plants

Cleaning foreign matter from herbs by washing them with water

Arranging examination of the herbs by Chemists, Hakim or Vaid

Collecting green herbs and drying them in sun for storage and supply

Knowledge of different types of medicinal plants

Skilled in plucking plants or herbs without destroying them

Proficient in recognising medicinal plants by sight and smell

Familiar with medicinal properties of different plants

Knowledge of cleaning the herbs without damaging them

Equipped in storing the herbs until they are sold or collected by the in-charge

Aware of the sale centres and the price of herbs

/

Expertise and hands-on experience in medicinal plants gathering

Manual dexterity

Ability to work independently

Hardworking and persistent

Result-oriented

Self-motivated

It is a field job

Work from home is not applicable for this profile

May require supervising a team of other herbs gatherers

Part-time and contractual jobs may be available

Local travelling is required

Working hours

Working is 9 hours everyday for 6 days a week

Shift system is not involved in this job

Overtime may be required

Being self-employed is also an option. In this case, working hours and days will be flexible

Is the job suitable for a candidate with special needs?No

Health risks include exposure to pesticides, fertilisers, extreme weather conditions and dust

Occupational hazards include back/neck pains and injury to body

If the person is self-employed,profit will vary with the type of plant/herb gathered

For candidates on salary -INR1,300 toINR1,800 per month1

(These figures are indicative and subject to change)

Overview of Medicinal Plants in India2

India has 15 Agro climatic zones and 17000-18000 species of flowering plants of which 6000-7000 are estimated to have medicinal usage in folk and documented systems of medicine, like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy. About 960 species of medicinal plants are estimated to be in trade of which 178 species have annual consumption levels in excess of 100 metric tonnes. Medicinal plants are not only a major resource base for the traditional medicine and herbal industry but also provide livelihood and health security to a large segment of Indian population. The Indian medicinal plants and their products also account of exports in the range of?10 billion.

Gathering medicinal plants has been an occupation whose knowledge is passed on from generations to generations. Its scope is increasing from just a village treatment to world-wide recognition. In India it is a very old method of treating diseases, it has its roots in ancient Indian texts also. Its gaining popularity is due to the fact that it has minimal or no side effects. Many big companies are moving intothisdomaintoexploitthisopportunity.

Self-employed

Herbal medicine manufacturing companies

Job openings are in Tier III cities3

Will be updated

Dhan Foundation Development Matters Kennet Cross Road Near Seventh Day School 1A, Vaidyanathapuram East Madurai 625 016, Tamil Nadu, INDIA Tel : +91-452-2610794, 2610805http://www.dhan.org

Covenant Centre for Development (CCD) 18-C/1, Kennet Cross Road, Ellis Nagar, Madurai-626 010. Tamil Nadu, India. +91 944 3314 311 http://www.ccdgroup.org /

GRAM MOOLIGAI COMPANY LTD. (GMCL) 18 C/1 Kennet Cross Road Ellis Nagar, Madurai-625016 Tamil Nadu T +91 (0) 94 4331 4300 http://share4change.org/wpcontent/uploads/about_us/pdf/1693777722.pdf