Punjab government today launched a medicinal plants nursery at Bhatoli in Hoshiarpur district to give a fillip to the state's crop diversification plan.

The herbal plants will be an alternative for farmers growing the traditional paddy and wheat crops, an official spokesman said here.

The nursery, set up in collaboration with Forest Research Institution, Dehradun, would supply over 100 varieties of herbal saplings brought from around the country, he said.

Varieties of saplings would be developed depending upon the demand, the spokesman said, adding the state government would soon initiate a campaign asking farmers to replace cash crops with these plants.

For marketing of the saplings, special arrangement has been made by the forest department. All district forest officers have been appointed as nodal officers in this regard, he said.