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Tapuwa Mashangwa

THE past decade has seen the greater utilisation of herbs for agricultural, medicinal and culinary purposes. The new language on most people’s lips is being health conscious. This involves watching what one consumes and for the millennials this usually involves “googling” the benefits and effects of foods.

Improved health awareness and the increasing demand for herbs have brought forth more production of herbs. It is interesting how despite herbs having existed since time immemorial, their intensified use has only increased now as consumers and patients question the cost, effectiveness and efficiency of pharmaceutical drugs as most of these drugs are made from natural herbs.

Some herbs farmers and those interested in herb processing can produce parsley, lavender, basil, coriander, mint, oregano, sage, rosemary, chives, French tarragon, marjoram, thyme, bay, dill, fennel, lemon grass, anise, chervil, cumin, summer savoury, caraway, celery, garlic, lemon balm, lovage, winter savoury, dandelion, hibiscus flowers, lemon verbena, liquorice root, raspberry leaf, red clover flowers, rosehips, stinging nettle, yarrow, calendula, chickweed, aloe, arnica, burdock, cumfrey, plantain, St Johns wort, begarmot, bittersweet, orris root, patchouli, pine cones, battlesnake master, scented geraniums, sumac, white sage, saffron, borage, chamomile-German, elderberry, hawthorn, evening primrose, milk thistle, alfalfa, bee balm, blue vervain, boneset, feverfew, gingko, heal all, heartsease, lemon verbena, mullein, round headed Lespedeza, sheep sorrel, skullcap, stevia, black cohosh, Chinese milk vetch, Echinacea, ginseng and goldseal.

Herbs are not restricted for exploitation for culinary, medicinal and cosmetic purposes, they can also be in the agricultural and textile sector. Herbs with culinary uses are parsley, lavender, basil, coriander, mint, oregano, sage, rosemary, chives, French tarragon, marjoram, thyme, bay, dill, fennel, lemon grass just to mention a few.

African wormwood can be used as a soothing tea for coughs, diarrhoea, fever and internal worms; the fresh or dry leaves inhaled can remedy a blocked nose or headache. Comfrey can be applied as a poultice for boils, splinters and sores; yarrow is utilised to sooth nosebleed, diarrhoea, fever, fatigue and loss of energy and sage can be used to treat earaches, sore throat, diarrhoea, anxiety and stress. It also works as hair rinse, facial wash and deodorant.

In agriculture basil and blackjack can be utilised as a pest repellent, pesticide and fungicide. Nettle can be exploited to be a soil improver and yarrow works as a compost activator. Marigold is used a cloth dye in the textile industry. There are so many areas to which herbs can be used and one does not even need to own land to make profits of herbs. One can be a herb bulk supplier/marketer, processer and even exporter! We cannot restrict ourselves to just a few options when possibilities are endless. As a lot of our medicinal, cosmetic, agricultural and textile products are imported fetching high prices in most retail and pharmaceutical outlets. One may ask: are these products impossible to make?

The basics of medicinal drugs and cosmetics are that they are a combination of chemical ingredients mixed at specific rates and temperatures to make a new product. That is all there is to it! So the key is to know what to use, how to use it and when to use it. Despite herb use being beneficial to our health it is also very important for any herb user to first investigate about the herb they intend to use or grow. Some herbs can be hazardous to the health if taken in excess or by a person with a particular health condition. For example liquorice root is not recommended for people with high blood pressure as it generally increases the blood pressure of healthy individuals and taking more than 20 grams a day can lead to other complications such as headaches and heart problems.

Another important factor to consider if the legality of use of some herbs. For example there are countries that have approved of the use of marijuana to treat or help patients cope with anxiety and some forms of cancer, however in Zimbabwe is it still illegal.

If we can produce quality and affordable Zimbabwean herbs and herb by-products, not only can their pricing be competitive with respect to foreign products but we can also be able to market them internationally. With the vast amount of lands we possess to produce so much and the opportunities that are arising due to the new investor policies, farmers and agro-entrepreneurs, the financial sector, Government should organise themselves for improved production of goods and services related not only to herbs but the broad sector that is agriculture and come up with innovative ideas to upgrade what we already produce and venture into new markets.

-The writer is Engineer Tapuwa Justice Mashangwa, Chief Consultant at Emerald Agribusiness Consultancy based in Bulawayo. He can be contacted on +263739096418 and +263771641714 and email; [email protected]