THE TRADE IN MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS FROM CENTRAL NEPAL TO NORTHERN INDIA

This paper describes the collection and trade of dry medicinal and aro matic plants (MAPs) from Gorkha District in central Nepal to Delhi in northern India. It is based on two years' field work in Nepal and Indi a. Substantial amounts of MAPs are available and accessible in the nor thern and middle parts of the district; currently 35 species are trade d and further 13 species traded elsewhere are found in the district. A pproximately 3700 individuals are engaged in commercial MAP collection ; in the northern and middle parts of the district 25-100% of househol ds in a given village participate in the collection. The average daily income is competitive with other income generating activities and com mercial MAP collection constitutes from 15-35% of poor households' ann ual income (households with less than 300 US$ annual income). Commerci al MAP collection is generally not important in the southern part of t he district. Almost all species are harvested in the wild The harveste d and dried MAPs move southward from the forests and alpine pastures i n Nepal to the main Indian markets on the Gangetic plain. Marketing ma rgin analysis of the six main products traded shows that collectors' n et margins average 46.6% of the Delhi wholesale price; the overall ave rage net margin for traders is only 3.0% and for Terai wholesalers 31. 5%. The,nain potentials and pitfalls in connection to improving the tr ade for the collectors are briefly discussed. There are indications th at the commercial MAP collection in central Nepal is not unsustainable .