Eightfold Increase in Medicinal Plants’ Cultivation in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province

The deputy of Plant Production Improvement of Ministry of Agriculture Jihad of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province said, “The cultivation area of medicinal plants in this province has had eightfold increase in comparison with 2013.”
In his interview with IRNA, Shahram Askari added, “At the moment, 85 hectares of agricultural lands of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province are under the cultivation of medicinal plants such as stevia, chamomile, peppermint and lemon beebrush. Whereas, in 2013, the cultivation area of medicinal plants in this province was about 10 hectares.”
He indicated that according to Resistance Economy plan, another 320 hectares of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad’s agricultural lands will be cultivated with medicinal plants.
Referring to the fact that the vast amount of medicinal plants produced by Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad farmers, are exported to foreign countries under the name of other provinces, he stressed the need to remove export barriers of these products.
He said, “A ream of officials will soon visit Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad to prepare the ground for the export of medicinal plants and several other agricultural products. It is hoped that this visit will make it possible to have direct exports.”
Askari stated, “Direct employment of each hectare of medicinal plants is between 8 to 15 people and its revenue is between 250 to 400 million rial.
The expansion of medicinal plants’ cultivation is among the government’s strategies to help boost the economy of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province.”
Askari continued to say, “Among the government’s support to help expand the cultivation of medicinal plants in this province we can name, ex-gratia payment of between 5 to 90 million rial, banking facilities and aid for spraying and drying.”
The deputy of Plant Production Improvement of Ministry of Agriculture Jihad of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province announced that for the first time this year, Rosa damascena as a medicinal plant species, is cultivated in 15 hectares of agricultural lands of Deh Now-e Kakan of Boyer Ahmad.
“According to the plans, 1000 hectares of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad agricultural lands will be under the cultivation of Rosa damascena, the fall of this year,” he said.
“The cultivation of this plant will help build-up the aquifers, revenues, employment, improve tourism and climate mitigation.
Rosa damascena is resistant to dryness and poor soil and it is cultivated in 14 provinces of the country.”
He indicated, “This plant produces flowers in its third year, gaining 1/5 tonnes of flowers in each hectare, and one kilo of essential oil is produced out of four tonnes, the value of a kilo of the essential oil is 300 million rial.”
The employment for the cultivation of this flower is 2 people per hectare, according to Askari.
He added, “Currently, there is a capacity of cultivating over 10,000 hectares of Rosa damascena in this province, and if that takes place, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad will become one of the main poles of this product in the country.”
The farmers of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province with the population of 700,000 people, have an annual production of 800,000 tonnes which they send to consumer markets.