Nepal has got tremendous opportunities for the cultivation and farming of NTFPs and MAPs because of its diversity in ecosystems. NTFPs and MAPs cultivation, harvesting and trade have been important source of cash income for poor people in rural areas, generating steady source of green employment opportunities and livelihood options (Tiwari, 2004; Choudhary, et al., 2010). NTFPs are harvested not only from forests, but also from pasture lands, grasslands, and fallow ground. Due to extreme rural poverty and increasing demand of NTFPs and MAPs are facing problems of indiscriminate exploitation leading to degradation of resource base with adverse impacts on local livelihoods, biodiversity, and rural health (Subedi, 2003; Pandit et al., 2009; Rasul et al, 2012). There are evidences that increasing market demand and commercialization of NTFPs and MAPs are threatening many species with extinction or may cause considerable threats to some of the MAP species in the wild. Asparagus racemosus (kurilo), Rawoulfia serpentine (Sarpaghandha) and Aswaghandha are the examples of some high value NTFPs and MAPs in the Terai of Nepal. It is important to have demonstration plot of NTFPs and MAPs to increase the production in the Terai which will create employment generation at local level. The current practices or level of skills for cultivation and harvesting of NTFPs and MAPs are not satisfactory (Edwards, 1996; Subedi, 2003; Pandit, et al. 2009). The premature and unscientific harvesting of any NTFP species will pose the threat of extinction (Subedi 2003; Rasul et al, 2012). The availability of natural stocks compared to demand for specific NTFPs greatly influences their extraction. Expanding markets for both raw materials and finished products also accelerates the over-exploitation of NTFP resources (Subedi, 2003; Pandit and Thapa, 2004; Rasul et al.,2012).
The planning grant has been provided to develop full proposal establish herbal farm within community forestry in low land Terai for sustainable management of medicinal and aromatic plants.