kartikey007
Member
India is blessed with many positive factors, which enables it to stand at unique position in agriculture-based product. After achieving self-dependence on food front now India is in position whereby it has become net exporter of agriculture based product.
Aromatic plants are very important part of agriculture and have been grown in India for their fragrance and therapeutic use from ages. In last four decade due to effort of CSIR, ICAR, CIMAP, University and industrial houses many crops could be taken on large-scale cultivation and many of them have made very good success. Mint is very live example of it, which made India no. 1 producer of same driving away very strong competing country like China, Brazil that has many strength like India in agriculture sector. Many advance country like Germany and Japan with very strong production base of synthetics also are finding it very difficult to compete on price and quality with Indian produced natural Menthol. This shows very clearly that if planned efforts are put India can be no.1 player in these field with very strong position in agriculture fields which can be considered as “LABORATORY UNDER SUN”.
After revolution in information technology lot of thrust to develop application of Bio- technology through extensive work by CSIR labs on Bio re-sourcing database opened up new revenues in economic production of essential oils on mass scale where by success story like Mentha Arvensis started getting repeated in other essential Oils. Introduction of high Mentha furan rich variety CIM_INDUS (CIMAP/MP20) by CIMAP based on need of industry in 2003 enabled India to become no.1 producer of Mentha Piperita in 2004 surpassing USA which has been largest producers of same from many decades. Introduction of many new variety in Cymbopogan, Ocimum which gives high yield/acre with high % of desired component will enable India to make major break through in many terpene chemicals which over last few decades were replaced by synthetic equivalent for which starting materials are petrochemicals & turpentine which are becoming scares in new millennium. Extensive plantation on millions of acres of these two species as intercrop with horticulture or on waste land will not only improve’s environment only but same will generate millions of job on rural level which is need of time.
Recent noble prize on 4th October 2004 to Mr. Richard Axel for his contribution towards Aroma Science for medicine proves that future medicines will be based on Terpense & Sesquiterpenes for which essential Oils are best source. Synthetic molecules which often have three un-natural Character namely a) Non bio-degradable b) Non Chiral c) Non natural identical may not be accepted by human body and may be treated as toxins which has to be evaluated very carefully before allowed to enter human body. This whole new branch of science may emerge as new medical science which described beautifully in CIMAP director’s report in 2003. Dedicated Laboratories of CSIR like ITRI with extensive work on such common Terpene Chemical used frequently for F & F industry along with cosmaceuticals may prove very clearly how natural Terpenes & Sesquiterpene based Chemicals are superior on above three criteria as compare to Synthetic equivalent Chemicals such work will allow
entire world to shift from Synthetic to natural through green Chemistry with green path. This development puts India in whole world in unique position as production base for natural essential oils.
Based on need of essential oils and their isolates (natural or synthetic) on global scale a planned projection is done in Annexes I. There is urgent need for strategy for planning for essential oil segment so that we can achieve this goal. In projected figure price projected may seems to be very low compare to prevailing price for same oils in market. Here we have to take in consideration competition from synthetic materials, which are derived from turpentine, and petroleum feed stock like Isoprene. These materials are processed on very large scale so economy of scale favors final prices of this synthetic derived molecule at present compare to equivalent natural isolates. However we should take in consideration following factor for future, which can favor production of these isolates, derived from natural essential oils.
1) Prices of petroleum products are going up so in future with depletion of it prices are expected to rise further.
2) Prices of turpentine is going up gradually because of high cost of labour in producing country like China, Brazil & Indonesia. As Turpentine is obtained from gum resin which is very labor intensive & requires labor in hilly rural areas which is becoming less & less with urbanization.
3) Recovery of turpentine oil from crude sulfate turpentine liquor also require lot of energy which is derived from petroleum as fuel so prices for these are rising in last few months. It is expected that same trend is going to continue in future. Again for separation and conversion of Alfa and beta Pinene from turpentine to it’s desired basic derivative like Geraniol, Citronellol, Citral, Linalool also requires lot of energy and chemicals, which are derived from petroleum feed stock.
4) Conversion of petroleum feed stock and turpentine to above mentioned derivatives require use of lot of hazardous reactions, which leads to generation of many pollutant as well as explosion hazards. Now with more emphasis world over on neat and clean technology these facility of production may find it difficult to product derivative like Geraniol, Citronellol, Citral, Linalool at very low cost as they may have to spend lot of money on pollution control and safety of operation.
Aromatic plants are very important part of agriculture and have been grown in India for their fragrance and therapeutic use from ages. In last four decade due to effort of CSIR, ICAR, CIMAP, University and industrial houses many crops could be taken on large-scale cultivation and many of them have made very good success. Mint is very live example of it, which made India no. 1 producer of same driving away very strong competing country like China, Brazil that has many strength like India in agriculture sector. Many advance country like Germany and Japan with very strong production base of synthetics also are finding it very difficult to compete on price and quality with Indian produced natural Menthol. This shows very clearly that if planned efforts are put India can be no.1 player in these field with very strong position in agriculture fields which can be considered as “LABORATORY UNDER SUN”.
After revolution in information technology lot of thrust to develop application of Bio- technology through extensive work by CSIR labs on Bio re-sourcing database opened up new revenues in economic production of essential oils on mass scale where by success story like Mentha Arvensis started getting repeated in other essential Oils. Introduction of high Mentha furan rich variety CIM_INDUS (CIMAP/MP20) by CIMAP based on need of industry in 2003 enabled India to become no.1 producer of Mentha Piperita in 2004 surpassing USA which has been largest producers of same from many decades. Introduction of many new variety in Cymbopogan, Ocimum which gives high yield/acre with high % of desired component will enable India to make major break through in many terpene chemicals which over last few decades were replaced by synthetic equivalent for which starting materials are petrochemicals & turpentine which are becoming scares in new millennium. Extensive plantation on millions of acres of these two species as intercrop with horticulture or on waste land will not only improve’s environment only but same will generate millions of job on rural level which is need of time.
Recent noble prize on 4th October 2004 to Mr. Richard Axel for his contribution towards Aroma Science for medicine proves that future medicines will be based on Terpense & Sesquiterpenes for which essential Oils are best source. Synthetic molecules which often have three un-natural Character namely a) Non bio-degradable b) Non Chiral c) Non natural identical may not be accepted by human body and may be treated as toxins which has to be evaluated very carefully before allowed to enter human body. This whole new branch of science may emerge as new medical science which described beautifully in CIMAP director’s report in 2003. Dedicated Laboratories of CSIR like ITRI with extensive work on such common Terpene Chemical used frequently for F & F industry along with cosmaceuticals may prove very clearly how natural Terpenes & Sesquiterpene based Chemicals are superior on above three criteria as compare to Synthetic equivalent Chemicals such work will allow
entire world to shift from Synthetic to natural through green Chemistry with green path. This development puts India in whole world in unique position as production base for natural essential oils.
Based on need of essential oils and their isolates (natural or synthetic) on global scale a planned projection is done in Annexes I. There is urgent need for strategy for planning for essential oil segment so that we can achieve this goal. In projected figure price projected may seems to be very low compare to prevailing price for same oils in market. Here we have to take in consideration competition from synthetic materials, which are derived from turpentine, and petroleum feed stock like Isoprene. These materials are processed on very large scale so economy of scale favors final prices of this synthetic derived molecule at present compare to equivalent natural isolates. However we should take in consideration following factor for future, which can favor production of these isolates, derived from natural essential oils.
1) Prices of petroleum products are going up so in future with depletion of it prices are expected to rise further.
2) Prices of turpentine is going up gradually because of high cost of labour in producing country like China, Brazil & Indonesia. As Turpentine is obtained from gum resin which is very labor intensive & requires labor in hilly rural areas which is becoming less & less with urbanization.
3) Recovery of turpentine oil from crude sulfate turpentine liquor also require lot of energy which is derived from petroleum as fuel so prices for these are rising in last few months. It is expected that same trend is going to continue in future. Again for separation and conversion of Alfa and beta Pinene from turpentine to it’s desired basic derivative like Geraniol, Citronellol, Citral, Linalool also requires lot of energy and chemicals, which are derived from petroleum feed stock.
4) Conversion of petroleum feed stock and turpentine to above mentioned derivatives require use of lot of hazardous reactions, which leads to generation of many pollutant as well as explosion hazards. Now with more emphasis world over on neat and clean technology these facility of production may find it difficult to product derivative like Geraniol, Citronellol, Citral, Linalool at very low cost as they may have to spend lot of money on pollution control and safety of operation.