Medicinal and aromatic plants and honey—all play an important role in the lives of Pakistani people. A recently conducted study suggests that from 25 percent to 60 percent Pakistanis prefer herbal medicines and honey to mainstream medicine. This was stated by USAID Director for Pakistan Dr Andrew Sisson while speaking at a conference entitled “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and Honey Industry” held here on Wednesday. The conference was attended by a large number of locals associated with the business of Aromatic plants and honey industry. Majority of them belonged to Malakand Division. Provincial Minister for Environment and Forests Wajid Ali Khan was also present. Dr Andrew Sisson said the US Government, through the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Entrepreneurs Project, has helped 13,000 conflict and flood-affected plant collectors and bee keepers in Upper Dir and Swat restart their businesses by providing essential tools and training.
He said that cooperation was between the USAID and local farmers for the growth of the honey and medicinal and aromatic plants industries, which has potential for profit. “Pakistan’s honey industry has a lot of money,” he observed. “Pakistan imports $50 million worth of herbal plants each year. While honey imports are lower. There are also a considerable room for growth. This gap between the demand and supply provides a fertile opportunity for the domestic producers, especially in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is the key honey and medicinal and aromatic plants source in the country.
These sectors require limited investment in equipment and training, yet offer a stable and significant stream of income. Pakistan already has up to two million people engaged in the collection of herbal plants and small-scale bee-keeping. However, these industries can offer employment for many more,” he said. He also urged the government of Pakistan to play its role for that industry, “Equally importantly, the government has an important role to play in ensuring the access of these micro-entrepreneurs to information about medicinal plants and honey, in increasing awareness of the commercial perspectives in the two sectors, as well as in building capacity for proper harvesting, handling, and storage,” he added.
Dr Sisson said the US government believed that support for these two sectors would contribute significantly to the revival of the economy in the war-torn Malakand Region. Speaking on the occasion, Provincial Minister for Environment and Forests assured the farmers of his government’s full support for improving their businesses. Anges G Luz, Chief of Party USAID also spoke on the occasion.
