In Uttrakhand about 1750 medicinal species are native of the region. But in recent time natural environment of this region has effected to a great extent due to population pressure, change in weather pattern, irregular and over exploitation of herbs from their natural habitat, which has resulted depletion of many high value medicinal herbs, to the stage of extinction. 

  In past the naturally available medicinal plants were available in enough quantity to meet the requirement of masses. But due to rapidly growing population and increasing  awareness towards herbals products, there is imbalance on production and consumption of these herbs. In case proper strategy will not be initiated right now, the stage may come when almost each valuable herbal species will be at the verge of extinction. Hence development of agro- technology and their commercial scale cultivation is the need of time.

According to diversified agro-climatic condition and scope of cultivation of medicinal plants Uttrakhand region can be divided into four ZONES.

  If we grow medicinal herbs in their required climatic condition maximum yield of crude drug can be achieved, farmers would be motivated to cultivate medicinal plants according to above agro- climatic zones, they can get maximum benefit. Economically important and high value medicinal plants can be grown in different agro climatic zones of Uttrakhand.

  In Uttrakhand region raw medicinal plant parts are being collected by “Jila Sahkari Bheraj Sangh "working in each district of the state. They are collecting herbal plants through unskilled and unqualified labors, but due to lack of knowledge of their proper method of collection   and over exploitation (destructive collection) many economically important and highly demanded medicinal plants are under endangered stage.