Forests 'can be site for medicinal herbs'

BOGOR, West Java: A researcher called on the government on Wednesday to promote forest cultivation of medicinal herbs as an alternative to using the areas for timber cultivation.

Ervizal A.M. Suhud of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture told a seminar here the country could earn considerable income without depleting the forests from a vast range of medicinal herbs found there.

"Our forest utilization policy which has served the timber industry for years proves too costly because it has caused damage to the ecosystem near forest concession areas and failed to accommodate surrounding people," Ervizal said.

He urged reform in the policy for the sake of forest conservation and the fair distribution of income to the people.

"People have considerable knowledge of medicinal herb cultivation. If they are given the chance to manage the forests for the plants, it will not only improve their standard of living but help the government boost its health program," Ervizal said.

Another speaker, Mulyono of Bandung's Padjadjaran University, concurred, saying that Indonesian tropical forests provided abundant medicinal herbs as an alternative for modern medicine. He said forest cultivation of the herbs should involve the ministries of forestry, health, industry and cooperatives, as well as the local community. (24)