The Effectiveness of Medicinal Plants’ Cultivation in Employment and Sustainable Development / Medicinal Plants’ Cultivation in 500 Hectares of Dishmok Lands

Referring to the medicinal plants’ cultivation in 500 hectares of Dishmok lands, the managing director of Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province said, “This, has a great impact on employment and sustainable development.”

Ezzatollah Beheshtifar noted, “Fortunately, due to Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad’s climate conditions, about 400 different and useful medicinal plants species are grown in the province.”

The managing director of Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province stated that the area of this province is approximately one percent of the area of all Iran and indicated that about one fifth of the medicinal plants of our country is grown in this province and that certain number of these plants are rare even throughout the world.

He named some of the medicinal plants of this province such as, pennyroyal, thymes, yarrow, chamomile, asafoetida, mugworts, Ferula gummosa, Dorema aucheri, Descurainia sophia, Allium jesdanum, pink plant, Ferula haussknechtii, tragacanth, manna, perforate St John’s-wort and Echinophora cineraria then he pointed out, “Species like, manna, Ferula asafoetida and Ferula gummosa, are the three rare species in the world, which are grown in the heights and sides of Dena county mountains.”

This official said, “Unfortunately, due to some people’s negligence and exploitation in the previous years, several of these plant species have either been destroyed, damaged or face extinctions.”

Beheshtifar went on to say, “In this respect and in order to make up for the damages, Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization of this province together with the help and support of the natives and locals of this area, have started cultivating medicinal plants species in this province  and so far satisfactory results have been obtained.”

Managing director of Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province stated that the goal of implementing the plan for the medicinal plants’ cultivation has been to attract tourists, make more jobs and revive native medicinal plants species which have been destroyed, “In compliance with this plan, so many jobs have been made and the people are more content.”

“Medicinal plants such as Ferula gummosa , Ferula asafoetida, celery, Prunus mahaleb, thyme, Amygdalus scoparia, Allium jesdanum have been planted in several parts of this province based on the location and conditions of the area.” He added, “Recently, the last cultivation of medicinal plants took place with the help of the locals and natives  in 500 hectares of Dishmok lands.”

Referring to the cultivation of medicinal plants in large national areas so far, he said, “This has had a huge impact on employment and sustainable development.”

According to Beheshtifar, Implementing the medicinal plants’ cultivation plan is an effective way to develop and fulfill the ‘Resistance Economy’ motto, “The medicinal plants of our province are sent and exported to both different parts of Iran and foreign countries for medicinal purposes.”

He went on to say, “However, unfortunately due to the fact that the export of these plants is carried out through other provinces, provided that the conditions for the export of medicinal plants from our own province are met, there will be more chances of development and elevation for this province.”