Forests 'can be site for medicinal herbs'

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)