Stocks of medicinal plants dwindle in Kazakhstan

The reserves of medicinal herbs are running out in Kazakhstan. The reason is an uncontrolled collection of medicinal plants. The growth of volumes is due to a demand in external markets, the Kazakh Minister of Ecology stated. At a meeting of the Mazhilis, Serikkali Brekeshev presented a new bill that will regulate this negative trend. According to the relevant department, the flora of the country has more than 6,000 species of trees, shrubs and herbs. Approximately 1,500 of them are medicinal plants, and 14 varieties are exported. The medical herbs are in great demand in the U.S., Turkey and China. Thus, about 33,000 tonnes of licorice were exported to China over the last three years, which significantly exceeds the recommended production volume.  And these are the official data only. The bill is intended to enhance the control and restrict the herbs collection volume. The document was approved in the first reading.

“The goal of the bill is to introduce legal norms, which will monitor both the plants quantity on the territory and their protection and preservation. The resource research will be done. It will determine the amount of herbs that can be collected within a certain limit and the place, where their collection is allowed. So, the bill is worked out to be both economically and environmentally efficient,” said Madi Nurpeissov, spokesperson for the Forestry and Wildlife Committee at Kazakh Ministry of Ecology.

Translation by Zhanna Smagulova

Editing by Saule Mukhamejanova