Collection and marketing of high value pharmaceutically and therapeutically important plants from the Swat District, Pakistan

Abstract

In 2012, existing practices in trading high value minor crops (such as medicinal and aromatic plants) from the Swat district, Pakistan, were analyzed. The goals of the study were to: (1) examine the current status of the high value medicinal plant trade in Pakistan and (2) investigate the linkages in the market chain from collectors in the Swat district to final consumers. Within the Swat District, the focus was on the collection pattern of medicinal plants as an economic activity and its likely destinations in national or international markets. Herbal markets in major cities of Pakistan were surveyed for current market trends, source of material, import and export of herbal material, price patterns and market requirements. Collectors are mostly women and children of Middle Hill tribes and whose earnings are generally done for supplementary income through this activity. Pakistan exports of high value plants generate over US $10.5 million annually, with over 70% of the supply coming from Swat District. However, the market share of the high value plants from the Swat District due to the unreliable and often poor quality of the material supplied the length of the supply chain and poor marketing strategies. These problems could be addressed by improving the knowledge of those at the start of the supply chain, improving linkages among all steps in the chain and developing sustainable harvesting practices. Key words: Trade pattern, medicinal plants, import, export, economic growth.