The New Nation - Internet Edition

BANGLADESH Business Promotion Council (BPC) organised a seminar on Thursday to inspire businesses to grow medicinal plants to meet the local demand and also save foreign currency by making their imports unnecessary. The growing of medicinal plants and herbs is a lucrative business. Bangladesh at present spends about Taka 500 million for the import of herbs or herbal extracts to make medicines. But the entire amount can be saved if medicinal plants and herbs are locally produced.

There are also immense prospects of exporting medicinal plants, herbs and herbal extracts provided the growing of the medicinal plants and herbs is properly developed. One study found that there is a very good opportunity for growing medicinal plants and herbs in the fallow lands of the tea estates, on hill sides at Chittagong and Sylhet. Even farmers can profitably do such planting in small strips of lands in their homesteads. This can be a source of employment and income and also of earning substantial foreign currency. At present, the annual average size of the export market for raw herbs is some $ 62 billion. The market size is projected to expand phenomenally by 2050. Thus, there are incentives for businesses to take up the growing of medicinal plants and herbs.

It is significant that only about 20 per cent of over 140 million people are in the habit of taking synthetic medicines. A major part of the population opt for herbal treatment of which the Unani and Ayurvedic systems are the favourites. Cost is a factor why so many people are habituated to these alternative medicines. Their popularity also stems from the effectiveness of treatment and relative safety. Herbal medicines are known to create the least or no side effects on patients. The government may extend support for the development of these traditional systems of medical care.