Herb industry promising because demand is rising

JAKARTA (JP): Herbs have the potential to become major crops in Indonesia as demand continues to grow for them in local and foreign markets, a senior government official said yesterday.

"The back to nature movement in developed countries and the increasing popularity of alternative medicines and fresh beverages in Indonesia have raised the demand for herbs," the Ministry of Agriculture's Director General of Food Crops and Horticulture, Amrin Kahar, said in Bogor, West Java.

At an agribusiness meeting, he said that a survey conducted by the health ministry had concluded that the medicinal herb industries will need 8,000 tons of herbs every year.

According to Amrin, the number of industries using herbs as raw materials increased from 165 firms in 1981 to 443 in 1990 and to 450 in 1993.

"Of the 152 species of herbs, 20 are used most often by the industries as raw materials," he said, adding that six of the most popular are ginger, turmeric, greater galingale, galingale, lempuyang and temulawak (kinds of ginger).

He said that new growing areas need to be found for the development of medicinal herbs as well. (13)