Efforts underway to promote share of medicinal plant industry in Iran’s economy

Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-based Economy has stepped up efforts to promote the country’s medicinal plant industry and produce wealth.

According to the Vice-Presidency’s head, Ruhollah Dehghani Firouzabadi, 8,000 species of plants had been identified in Iran, out of which 2,500 have medicinal effect and 1,800 are indigenous, suggesting that the country is rich when it comes to resources of medicinal plants.
The medicinal plant industry needs to get a better share of the country’s economy. It is one of the traditional and native industries of Iran, which played a big role in meeting the people’s medical and nutritional need in the past.
The industry was, however, neglected as the development science and technology gained momentum in the world.
Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-based Economy has placed the medicinal plant industry back on the agenda and has been making efforts to enhance the sector.