Iran Exports 660 Million Dollars Worth of Herbal Medicines over Past Few Years

As a vast country with different climates, Iran is a suitable place for planting and growing different types of herbs, a report by the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology says, adding that as statistics show currently, about 90% of medicinal herbs are grown inside the country.

Despite the fact that growing herbs can generate a lot of revenues for Iran, the country’s share of exports of these herbal medicines in the global market is not good at all.

Available official reports indicate that the value of exports of medicinal herbs and herbal medicines in 2012 was about $350 million while the figure has reached more than $ 660 million in recent years. The total value of exports excluding saffron is estimated to have reached at $370 million.

According to the report, the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology’s Department for Development of Herbal Medicine and Traditional Medicine has made necessary planning to expand scientific and technological cooperation at the international level and provide more opportunities for exporting more herbal medicines to other countries.

Participating in International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH), sending knowledge-based, technological and creative companies to leading countries in the field of herbal medicines and preparing and presenting the capabilities of domestic companies in the field of equipment, processing and concentrated herbs (herbal beverages) and their introduction to foreign markets are some of the measures and planning made by the department.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) website, International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH) is a global network of regulatory authorities responsible for regulation of herbal medicines, established in 2006. Its mission is to protect and promote public health and safety through improved regulation for herbal medicines.

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