The Secretary of the Headquarters for the Development of Medicinal Plants Sciences and Technologies said: Iran's climatic capacities and the diversity of plant species provide the possibility of achieving a higher share of the global market for medicinal plants, and policies are focused on completing the value chain and supporting knowledge-based companies.
According to the Public Relations of Radio Salamat, Damon Razmjoui, Secretary of the Headquarters for the Development of Medicinal Plants Sciences and Technologies, in the "Bright Horizon" program, referring to the country's extensive capacities in this area, added:
With 11 climates out of a total of 13 known global climates and the existence of about eight thousand plant species, of which nearly 2300 to 2400 are medicinal, industrial and aromatic, Iran has a privileged position in terms of biodiversity, but achieving large figures for foreign exchange requires completing the value chain from the farm to the domestic and international markets.
Stating that the headquarters' programs are regulated based on the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, he continued:
All measures are being taken within the framework of the National Document on Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine approved in 2013, and we are not moving even a single step beyond the goals and tasks set. Currently, the process of reviewing this document is on the agenda so that by updating the strategies and measures, it will be possible to achieve greater goals.
Emphasizing that significant progress has been made in the field of cultivation over the past years, Razmjoui said:
The point that must be strengthened more than ever is the processing sector. This link connects production to exports, the pharmaceutical industry, supplements, livestock and poultry products, aquatic products, and human products. The closer the knowledge and technology in this sector get to today's world standards, the more our added value and competitiveness will increase noticeably.
According to him, the role of the Scientific Vice-Chancellor as a policy-making and supporting institution, especially in the transfer of financial and technical technologies, is decisive, and this process has also begun and is developing.
The Secretary of the Headquarters for the Development of Sciences and Technologies of Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine announced the implementation of a pilot program in two of the country's flagship products and said:
Saffron and rose have established advantages in terms of global reputation, area under cultivation, and export capacity. However, in order to multiply income, a coherent chain of providing inputs such as virus-free onions, cultivation, harvesting, drying, processing, and market development must be formed.
He added: In the framework of the "Technology Penetration Chain" plan, a comprehensive program has been developed for these two products so that, with the support of the Scientific Vice-Chancellor and the cooperation of relevant agencies, a successful model can be created and then generalized to other plants with high economic potential. Our estimate is that by completing this chain, current revenues could increase two to three times.
Referring to the status of technology companies in this field, Razmjoui stated: “At the time of the announcement of the national document, there was not even a single specialized knowledge-based company in this sector, but today we have nearly 200 active companies. This growth is the result of continuous support and the creation of the necessary infrastructure for the entry of technology into this field.”
He continued: “The main focus of the headquarters’ activity is comprehensive support for knowledge-based companies, companies on the path to becoming knowledge-based, and technology cores. Any group that presents an effective plan for developing production, improving processing, or expanding the market will receive financial, technical, and policy support.”
According to the secretary of the headquarters, companies can start the process of receiving support by referring to the headquarters system and registering their proposals, and there is direct communication with experts to review and guide the plans.
Referring to the rapid growth of the global trade in medicinal plants, he said: "The world is moving rapidly towards the development of this market, and if coordination between agencies and strengthening of technological infrastructure continues, Iran can gain a larger share of this market in proportion to its natural capacities." Razmjoui concluded by stating: "Cohesion between the agricultural, industry, health, market and technology sectors is the main prerequisite for this leap, and the headquarters is trying to operationalize this synergy at the national level."
