Isfahan’s Medicinal Plants Market; Iran’s First Specialized Medicinal Plants Market

Isfahan province’s suitable climate has made it possible for the variety of medicinal plants to grow, also considering these plants’ little need for water as well as the recent years’ droughts in this province, we could say that the cultivation of medicinal plants is one of the best ways to compensate for the shortage of water, cropping pattern modifications and non-oil revenues of Isfahan.

All these conditions have convinced Isfahan’s officials and managers to set up a place to present and sell medicinal plants and bring together the best medicinal plants’ producers of the country in the city of Isfahan.

Isfahan’s Medicinal Plants Market was officially opened for the first time in Iran in 2008, with the area of about 4000 square meter and over thirty billion rial of investment, bringing together and settling the most active of companies in the field of cultivation and production, processing, transforming and commercializing medicinal plants, which altogether compose a complete cycle in medicinal plants and herbal medicine wholesale exchange.

This market started its work with 31 companies, and its first priority has been to systematize the domestic wholesale exchange and the second priority has been to provide an active relation with the foreign countries and wholesale exports.

Medicinal Plants’ Market of Isfahan is active in three sections of cultivation and production, processing and transforming as well as commercializing and trading. It has been attempted in this market to provide the people with the main products with suitable prices and higher qualities. Six to seven provinces of the country which produce some natural-based products with their exclusive brands, have also been set up in this market.

In Isfahan’s Medicinal Plants Market, the products are sold both wholesale and retail, and they are 15 to 20 percent cheaper than those sold throughout the city. In this market, You will find all kinds of herbal tea, herbal extracts, natural-based cosmetic and hygiene products, herbal oils, dried herbal medicine, organic products and all varieties of spices.

Public relations manager of Wet Market Organization and Organizing Urban Jobs of Isfahan Municipality referred to the fact that medicinal plants’ industry can save Isfahan and can bring about a huge change in the economy, he then added, “Medicinal plants’ cultivation does not require a lot of water, and since Isfahan has been in water crisis in the recent years, the cultivation of these plants can both bring in money for the farmers, and lay the grounds for the domestic and foreign export of these products.”

Basir Taherzadeh further noted, “The annual festivals and the different congresses in the field of traditional medicine and medicinal plants, attended by the university professors and experts in Isfahan’s Medicinal Plants Market, has drawn an increase in the number of people who visit the market and has caused a rise in the sales per capita.”

Referring to the upward trend of families consuming medicinal plants and using traditional medicine in the recent years, he indicated, “In this market, there is a class from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m, on Friday mornings, taught by traditional medicine physicians and medicinal plants experts. These classes are held in order to increase people’s awareness, with topics such as: knowing your nature and humorism, properties of medicinal plants and traditional medicine, as well as answering the questions of the attendees.”

Taking in to account the identification of over 200 medicinal plants species and the harvest of about  2700 tonnes of medicinal plants from the pastures of Isfahan province, it can be noted that in terms of the variety of climates, Isfahan has the most production of medicinal plants in the country.

Among the 45 medicinal plants species of Isfahan province’s pastures, the varieties of tragacanth, the leaf of  Kelussia odoratissma Mozaffarian, asafoetida, shallot, thyme, caraway,  Allium ampeloprasum Var Iranicum and sumac are among the main species that are annually harvested from May till September in counties such as Fereydun, Fereydunshahr, Khvansar, Samirom, Khur and Biabanak as well as Isfahan.

Cumin covers fifty percent of the lands under the cultivation of medicinal plants in Isfahan, and since this plant requires little water to grow and it is an annual plant with a short life cycle; therefore, there is a high demand for it. Mint, chicory, dill and chamomile are next after cumin in terms of high cultivation; however, mostly these plants require more water.

Other medicinal plants such alcea, artichoke, fennel, alyssum, dracocephalum, aloevera, Echinacea angustifolia, and even caraway have been cultivated throughout the province.

An important point that should be noted in regards with medicinal plants, is the appropriate time of their cultivation and harvest, since the medicinal effects of these plants depend on the season and time of their cultivation and harvest and the lack of attention to this matter has caused the medicinal plants to lose their properties at the time of prescription.

For instance, if we harvest a medicinal plant in May, its active compound is in its leaves, and the leaves of this plant must be harvested right at this time and used as treatment. The same plant, if harvested in June, its active compound is accumulated in its roots, therefore, the leaves of this plant will not have a medicinal effect, and the roots must be prescribed for the treatment of a certain illness.

Public relations manager of Wet Market Organization and Organizing Urban Jobs of Isfahan Municipality said, “Those working in the field of cultivation and harvest of medicinal plants, normally have job satisfaction, because the price of selling medicinal plants for the farmers, is economically profitable, comparing to the costs of cultivating them. At the moment, some companies are  exclusively producing medicinal plants.”

Basir Taherzadeh referred to export as one of the main goals of this market and said, “Cultivation of industrialized medicinal plants are profitable and considering the attendance of the best producers of the country from provinces of Tehran, Fars, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari and Khorasan, in Isfahan’s Medicinal plants’ Market, we are studying and researching to prepare the conditions for exporting to the neighboring and European countries.”

By presenting scientific programs of learning methods of cultivation, growing and harvest suitable with water and regional conditions of the province, other than laying proper grounds for the development of medicinal plants, their export to the other countries will be made possible.

He added, “Due to the variety of climates and lack of water in this province, we have a good potential in terms of medicinal plants’ cultivation, and if we have a consumer market, we can sell our products more easily and it will be economically profitable for the farmers.”

Owing to the fact that it is an industrial province, it has efficient work force and varieties of plant species,this province has the capacity for improvement of medicinal plants’ production.

Considering the fact that this country is seeking non-oil revenues, Isfahan province has a high capacity for varieties of medicinal plants’ cultivation, and people are more inclined to the consumption of such plants, the best solution for this province’s economical crisis is the farmers’ change towards medicinal plants cultivation.

Isfahan’s Medicinal Plants Market, which is located on Laleh Sq., at the beginning of Parvin Rd., next to the fire department, is open every day from 8:30 to 13:00 and in the evenings from 16:30 to 19:30, and ready to offer the products to the visitor.