Iran will increase the area under cultivation of medicinal plants for commercial purposes by 9000 hectares, the official at the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture, Peyman Yousefi-Azar, said.
“Around 147,000 tons of herbs are commercially grown on 40,000 hectares of fields,” IRNA cited the minister as saying.
Yousefi-Azar put the value of medicinal plants exports (excluding saffron and Damask rose) at $150 million annually.
“As per a decade-long plan, 20 species of plants will be grown on 500,000 hectares of farmland,” he said.
Iran exported medicinal plants worth $91 million in the last Iranian year, including $4.7 million worth of caraway, $13.2 million of coriander, $6.6 million of henna and $13.4 million of Damask roses, the Financial Tribune reports.
