LAHORE:Pakistan Association of Alternative Medicine (PAAM) has highlighted a critical economic drain in the country’s herbal medicine sector, estimating an annual loss of $200 million due to a heavy reliance on imported raw materials.
According to PAAM’s latest data, Pakistan’s herbal industry currently holds less than a 0.5pc share in the global market, which has surpassed $200 billion. Despite the country being home to over 6,000 types of medicinal herbs, the industry remains dependent on imports, initially from India and now primarily from China, while a lack of institutional support, timely harvesting, and proper processing facilities leads to the wastage of raw material worth $100 million annually.
In contrast, India’s focused efforts through the 'AYUSH' ministry, established in 2014, have helped boost their herbal exports to $15 billion. Pakistan Association of Alternative Medicine President Kashif Aslam Malik termed the current export model based on processing imported Chinese raw materials—as 'artificial growth', emphasising that true economic sustainability will only be achieved when Pakistan utilises its own land to cultivate and process herbs, branding them as 'Made in Pakistan' using modern technology.
Pakistan Association of Alternative Medicine has projected that with dedicated government support, the establishment of local processing units, and robust policy reforms, Pakistan can scale its annual herbal exports from the current $80 million to $500 million within the next three years."
