Iran exports over 850
tons of medicinal plants

The head of the
Department of Rangelands at the Iranian Department of Natural Resources and
Watershed Management announced on Tuesday that Iran has exported over 850 tons
of medicinal plants from natural habitats to global markets since the beginning
of the year.

Tarahom Behzad said that
Iran is home to 11 of the 14 natural climates in the world, providing a
breeding ground for a variety of medicinal plants.

Iran has identified
around 8,600 plant species, of which 2,300 are medicinal and have direct
applications in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and dietary supplement
industries, he added.

Behzad also said that
unfortunately, these medicinal plants are exported from the country in their
raw, unprocessed form, adding that the Department of Natural Resources does not
have a role in preventing the export of raw medicinal plants and that it has
only proposed to the Food and Drug Administration and the Ministry of Industry,
Trade, and Mines that they intervene and prevent raw exports.

He added that problems
such as the lack of a separate budget line for the protection, improvement, and
development of medicinal plants and the lack of necessary and specialized
personnel have caused this field's valuable and hidden capacities to remain
dormant.