2024-07-09 06:59:58
Between 200,000 and 300,000 people collect them
If there is something that Bulgaria can boast of, it is an abundance of medicinal plants that are all around us. This is the reason why they are sought after and appreciated abroad. Currently, Bulgarian exports reach three continents. The main market is Europe, but our herbs can be found in both South America and Africa.
We export 90% of the amount of collected herbs, 10% remains for our market. We mainly rely on France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Austria, also the USA. (See the infographic.) The most sought after are nettle, mint, rosehip, lemon balm, ivy, dandelion and others.
“Themselves they have herbs very strange application
They are used for human use, in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry, as animal feed and a number of other applications”, notes Desislav Dionisiev – Chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Herbalists. According to the organization’s data, exports amount to over 35 million euros, and tax revenues from the industry are about BGN 20 million annually.
What is specific about medicinal plants is that they do not grow in forests because it is shady and humid. Therefore, they are most often found in sunny places – meadows and by rivers. Dionisiev draws attention to an important problem – many herbs could disappear due to the mass use of technology, pesticides and herbicides.
“For example, the nettle is a weed, but also an herb, the same applies to the clover, dandelion, rosehip, snake’s milk, common gorse, etc. And people are looking to get rid of them. However, agriculture is not the only thing that negatively affects the craft. Herbs are in the last or penultimate place in the ranking of the important activities for Bulgaria. And they give food to tens of thousands of people, who, if they don’t collect herbs and mushrooms, will start stealing,” Dionysiev says.
The data of the association show that in the active months between 200 thousand and 300 thousand people were engaged in picking herbs and mushrooms. More than 50% of the pickers are people with low education from minority groups.
Herb gathering, however, was a non-prestigious and poorly paid trade. Most herb pickers preferred to go abroad because of higher pay.
Another problem was that Bulgaria did not have enough opportunity to cultivate herbs. The reason for this was the agricultural policy, which led to the stimulation of cereal production.
There is no support, as it is for other crops such as grain, corn, sunflower, etc. In the same bag there is a fee that is paid to the state for collecting the herbs. According to Dionisiev, herbalism should have easier regulation.
And with regard to the search, he shares with amazement that
each year were sought after different species
For example, one year St. John’s wort was preferred, another – ivy, but the war in Ukraine also had a negative impact on this sector.
“Because of this, there is a strong decrease in the demand for herbs, oils and everything that is part of our work. We suffer from the fact that at the moment Europe does not consume as we are used to”, he adds. But the Bulgarian still had habits of drinking herbal teas, herbal mixtures and all that is called natural medicine. The population preferred them to black and green tea.
There are 750 species with proven properties
According to data from the Ministry of Environment and Water, of all the EU member states, only Bulgaria collects herbs from the wild in relatively large quantities, which is also the reason why we are the only ones in the community with a specialized law on medicinal plants. The number of those with proven positive properties is 750, and about 250 are intensively used in the pharmaceutical and food industry, cosmetics and folk medicine. 24 herbs are prohibited for harvesting for economic purposes, and for another 11, including yarrow, permissible amounts are determined each year.
Dionisiev also adds that in those days the linden tree was harvested the most. However, its collection is difficult, its price has risen and industry around the world has already used it less and less. According to him, there were years in which Bulgaria produced 500 tons of dry linden, which can never be repeated.