Herbal product sales in Malaysia to increase

sourceMALAYSIA’S herbal industry is expected to double by 2010 from its annual sales value in excess of RM4.5 billion currently, a recent study on the industry by the Malaysian Industry-Government Corp for High Technology (Might) showed.
Malaysian Herbal Corp (MHC) director Dr M. Rajen said by harnessing the herbs’ maximum potential via the proper facilities and infrastructure, the current figures of 15 to 20 per cent year-on-year growth of the herbal industry can be taken to new heights.
“After all, we have the world’s oldest rainforests, which possess an extremely rich bio-diversity that could have immense medicinal or herbal value potential.
“It is only natural that our country effectively taps this wealth of resources via effective bio-technology research and development,” he said in a statement released in Kuala Lumpur.
“We should aim to not only reduce our dependency on herbal and medicinal product imports but also create new products and markets to tap this lucrative industry nationally and internationally.
“To this end, we have invested in a multi-herb extraction plant, the first of its kind in Malaysia, situated in the nation’s premier bio-technology park, techpark@enstek.”
To raise awareness of the potential of Asian herbs and in line with the Government’s commitment to effectively tap the herbal bio-technology sector, the Journal of Tropical Medicinal Plants, together with MHC, will be organising the world’s first international conference on Women’s Health and Asian Traditional Medicine.
The conference will be held at the KLCC Convention Centre from August 23 to 25 2005.
It will focus on traditional Asian healthcare remedies and their complementary role in modern medicine.