RAKUB to give easy loan to herbal plant growers

Any entrepreneur from Oushadhi Village in Natore can get loan on easy terms for producing, marketing and processing herbal medicines, RAKUB Managing Director Dr Mujibur Rahman Khan has said.

He was speaking on Monday at a reception accorded to Afaz Pagol who played a key role in founding the Oushadhi Village at Kholabaria in Natore. The village is now famous for herbal medicinal plants. The reception was held on Kholabaria school premises at Natore.

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RAKUB would be the first in the country to give such loans of its kind in the country.

Growers of herbal plants in Natore can get loan at ten percent annual interest, Khan said.

He said entrepreneurs would get Tk 5000 to Tk 10,00,000 loan on easy terms for marketing and processing herbal medicines. The interest rate would be 7.5 percent in case of export.

Khan also told the function that herbal medicines worth Tk 3.72 crore are imported every year, whereas Kholabaria villagers produce herbal medicines worth Tk one crore in a month.

Chaired by RAKUB's Natore regional manager Zahrul Islam, the function was attended by, among others, Natore Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Illias Hossain, Agricultural Extension Department Deputy Director Aman Ullah, Union Parishad Chairmen Nuruzzaman, Niamat Ullah; and herbal tree growers Abdul Kuddus, Moslem Uddin, Abdul Kader and Nurul Islam.

Natore DC told the function that he would arrange certificates and identity cards for growers of herbal plants.

Agriculture DD said that he would arrange training for internding growers.