An Economic Analysis of Coleus Production and Marketing in Tamil Nadu

India is largest producer of medicinal and herbal plants after China and has about 2000 species of medicinal plants. Medicinal plants form the main base for the manufacture of drugs of Indian Systems of Medicine. There is a growing choice for typical and plant-based medicinal merchandise throughout the globe. The present study was undertaken to analyse the production and marketing of Coleus in Tamil Nadu. Salem district has been selected purposively based on area under cultivation of Coleus. Attur block of Salem district was chosen based on this crop area and 40 farmers selected at random as sample respondents. 12 market intermediaries were contacted for data collection. Analysis of Cost and Returns and Marketing Efficiency, Markovian analysis and Rank Based Quotient were the tools employed. Total cost of cultivation of coleus was one lakh. Three different channels prevailed in the study region. The marketing channel III was found to be most efficient channel for the farmers with the higher efficiency ratio. Inadequate quantity of produce and high wage rate were the major constraints. Regarding the direction of trade in coleus, USA was found to be stable importer of herbal extract and coleus extract. Coleus has huge potential both in domestic and international markets and remunerative to the farmers.