Farmers in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district are steadily moving away from conventional crops and embracing medicinal cultivation, with Ashwagandha emerging as the new favourite. Encouraged by high returns, cultivators say the plant could soon dominate the region’s agricultural landscape.

Last year, Ashwagandha was sown across nearly 200 acres in the district. Farmers reported earnings as high as Rs 50,000 per quintal, making the crop significantly more lucrative than traditional alternatives. Owing to this success, the acreage under cultivation is expected to more than double this season, crossing 500 acres. The sowing period begins in October, and farmers have already started preparing their fields.

Prashant Patel, a farmer from Rahli Rajwas who has been cultivating Ashwagandha for two y

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