Developing the supply chain of "Vinca Rosa (Catharanthus roseus)" in India.

The Vinca Rosa (Catharanthus roseus), also known as Periwinkle, is the most common flowering plant in India and is found in abundance almost everywhere. Though it is mostly grown in Bihar for its beautiful magenta and white flowers, few people are aware of the plant’s medicinal importance. Studies have shown that this plant contains about 65 alkaloids, of which Indol, Robesin and Serpentine are most prominent. The leaves of Vinca Rosa contain alkaloids, like Vincristine and Vinblastine, which are used to treat certain types of cancers. In the Patna district of Bihar, the primary cash crop was sugarcane. However, sugarcane production was declining in and around Patna as a result of falling prices. In addition to sugarcane, farmers were using traditional cropping technologies to grow cereals, vegetables, oil seeds, and pulses, primarily for self-consumption. Farmers who produced traditional crops like wheat, paddy, maize, potatoes and onions for sale were dissatisfied since production expenses were increasing but revenues remained constant or were declining as a result of falling prices because of increased production across the country. Most of the production by small-farm households was either consumed or allocated to money lenders to repay debt, further exacerbating the economic condition of the rural poor. Because farmers had little to spare in the form of marketable surplus, it was very difficult to introduce any new cropping systems. To help farmers escape this vicious debt trap, the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) pursued a strategy that would help farmers diversify into higher-value commodities and products. Three criteria were used to evaluate alternative crops and products within the district. First, there had to be a continuing market demand for the crop or product. Second, the crop must be well suited to the existing agro-climatic conditions. And, third, the production technology to be used must be relatively low-cost to reduce the farmer’s risk. The steps followed by the ATMA in the Patna District to assess and then develop a financially sustainable supply chain for the production and post-harvesting handling of Vinca Rosa and other medicinal and aromatic plants by groups of farmers in the district were as follows: 

1. Conduct a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) to assess local conditions and potential markets; 

2. Organize producers into Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs) and farmer associations; 

3. Assess market demand for specific medicinal and aromatic crops; 

4. Assess potential for producing and trading Vinca Rosa in Patna District, Bihar; 

5. Train FIG members to produce and manage Vinca Rosa; 

6. Monitor the production, post-harvest handling, and processing of raw material into the final product; 

7. Assess the potential for increasing the number of farmers involved through exposure visits, and support expansion accordingly