Ez'ern Ido Aflrmi, lllsh tll tc lire, Ul1iversitll
AL CROPS, WITH
AND AR01\1A TIC PLANTS, FOR
Introduction
<lnd aromatic a matter
looked at these plants in way. h<lve different
Although within
areas.
2. importance the herbs IJ1 the sectors, and
Iture and one
(1nd
European Cniol1, food
article <Ire: production nn
ex ploi til tion herbs AS ve
47
APS C;FMII'JAR 200(,
of Imports and Local Production of Agricultural Products
out for fOll r
others), tubers;
to determine inM aiti1. This
As observed the statistics over 1), fruit were mostly
40000
35000
1: Imports/Local totals for Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Year
ALTERNATIVI.: CRors
lOC(l] production. It is worth noting of imported fruit
mirrored other on (l
most popul(lr fruit W(lS th(l t
grown, marrows, tomatoes constitll main
25000
ro 20000 <lJ >-OJ 0.
1:2 15000 .c CJ)
(j)
s (]) 10000 CJ) ro OJ > <{
5000
0 - -' (/) (/) (f) (f)
2 ::; '2 '2 .s!2 ([; ([; n tL u:: tL tL .0 .c 1J Q) if) Q; (]) ()
co 0 ::l I
S c f5 1i:) r-
.c .9 CJ)
(3 0 x <lJ (j) U.l >
Imports
1 Local produce
49
Ars SEMINAR 20(l()
bulk within
3 Herbs:
3.1 In
Local
commonly cultivated I basil
20(6). r21rely
for chamomile and olive
19423.23
local
Potential Uses
3: The locally - cultivated herbs
Others 3%
2000 .. 2005)
Fennel 6%
4: Local Traditional Uses of Medicinal and Aronlatlc Plants
Others' 30%
G8strolntestinal 24%
CardioV3scul3r 14%
'Others: pl8nls used in other conditions whose contribution "4%
f\PS SEMINAR 200(.
have been used in traditiol1ill medicinE' 1975)
ts medicinal aromatic are SP,l distributed throughout the country
3.2 Pol clltin 1 /lppl ications lllelV have important applications other than
eu tin(l in the strict sense, In and their ucts found in the 1. Traditional Foods/Cropsl those
Clbandoned with introduction modern Clnd
2 a
3. within a
4.
toma to as the .. Old t(lt11(1 toes varieties f(lll wi thin
Cil
• A tomato with a lligh lycopene content (which IS a under the fUllctiol1(1j
.. (In lyeopene tom(lto l
is a neutraceuticcd.
• an ted tomato extract is a medicinal although suites more plants,
52
ALTERNA TIVE CROPS
Reasons for cultivating alternative
to the Common Agricultural Policy! producers Union are obliged to set
(l portion I [(Iud in retu rn for
The use
s, I. lowever, this that are not
Hcts are in (1 p(lrticui(lr the possibility
ties and from
This will hinder the
minimi'll care Clnd maintenance \vill to build
which might established crops
exploitation of added-value crops
In most C(Olses, crops, in do not the state, but should be
to finished
cmd 5). If one of the
whole will
AI'S SEMINAR 200h
5: Commercial Exploitation of Alternative Crops cycle
Marketinq Awareness 'ilII and- .. Technology
CONSUMER
T Expertise
CoHilboration and communication can
d
are
exploitation of herbs, aU of wbich are particular to
individual in question. prod lIction
(b) industrial (economic feasibility)
and the C(lI1snmer potential) collaborative
5.1 Prodllctioll of CTeclmical Feasibility)
by
tly depends on the agronomic factors both biotic and which
AITERNATlvr CROPS
may lead to question
sllccess or of production. The will surely come to mind
the can on a most important hurdle which
of (Caru(ma,
some plants However a
to
a contract
or not. whether the
examples
to producer in almost
reluctant to
and CI kind of associCl tion or
of
in function to or
production cost is which is indeed
initiCl/ is
55
to the unit cultivation the crop,
APS 21106
require strict care
involvement v\Then it comes to exclusively on
sid ce(lses.
production and
1\1 line.
producer. The producer crops on most
Therefore, even to grow better or
by its tive
is the government If
5.2 1l1fl11strial Processing (Economic Feasibility) are two important mainly the
economic feasibility a of the end-product, and the cost of industrial production to consumer (finished feasibility
on the market to consumer, that
end-product will surely outweigh With time, if
ALTERNATIVE CROPS
example, jf vve have a natural crean, for chilblflins red [993), there ,ue
same effect, so i!1itia
commercial cOllventional creams , if there me competing
n(ltural products on the ITtarket, the of the cream to be guaUf y under SI [Uil tion would
c(lper plant (Spiteri, varicose veins. On the
111
as a topical hand, we find
t
tCllna toes contain a hig11 COLlcen tra til)n
a chemopreventive. consideration a with to be thoroughly as com to
tomato varieties. As a result of and cons,
will find
This is more so when the in new equipment a product
'57
to invest to
APSSEMINf\R
tested. This
few comp,' with the 11H-,( J
At this nt,
I Malta, as there cue crop products,
letic fields. in technica.l a.nd
feClsibilitv meClsures, <lIe overcome with the of
the ?lppropriClte instrum.ents. H'owever, the next qllestioll wIll be Will the product reClcil the mClfket'7
Marketing (1Iui tile COllsumer (Market Potellt-ial) Market '}ize The sil;' of the rnarket will determine whether the crop production Considerinp. ! Ii size becon of processed In fact, the product.
a. ru 11111. ng
pwccssing will be feasible Imer population,
for the commercial I ?llternCltive crops
grea.tly influence the
crop is potentially able tations wi II stifle
commerciClIisa.tion process. This me?ll1S tha.t in the ca.se of
---------------------------------------, Figure 6: Market Size: The Local
Consumer Population
Consumer dation
Producpr
58
r~~ Nj." -I (~ .'
o Negative Feedback
TERNATIVE CROPS
Malta, beyond one should sustainability.
Rn internRtional at long run. Recently, there have been
CentrRl revivRI and introduction of the Due to
ta the Magreb
A Rnd Sou thern
breWing leading to our
European occup8tions, which R multicultural civilisation,
medicinal or Considering
I years within the of
ad VClll tage. In imposed
bRckground.
in this our cultural
,mel ClromCltic plC1nts,
Directive 2004/24/EC, to that
The the Product
30
an
Ai',S SEMI N A R 2006
In fllct, the cost of the products vis-a.-vis the competing products on the markets and the product quality are part i1nd parcel of the absolute cost of the product. Product stability is another problem in question, especially if the growth cycle long, As C1 resuH herbs ,we IlerenniC1l herb? for tv\'O I!
rei1s0ns: pnrna is hllTv(:'sted of crop witlwu t
crop rotC1tion once mmediate significm rs (in CC1se of tree~~)
Rate of Market Penetration A factor that limits market penetration is perhaps a balance between supply and demand.
For eXlimple, from the supply point of view, the multiplication of germplasm to obtain sufficient yields for
factor. In most ve to tenfold range,
I probably be achieved wi to seven years problem may be by selecting seed turnover single crop, micropropagation technicp the llse of alternative propagation methods (e.g. cuttings - sage, bulb division - squill, etc.).
Ho\;vever, the problem arises in prediciting the supply of crop by the end of the cycle. This is called supply uncertainty. Although a crop might give C1 high yield, supply uncertClintv will be possible if at the same time the crop lllight production failure.
On the the demand point this depends nd consumer awarenf'Ss. fact, market this end., might be J
if the consunH'r the new product or
is consumer resistance. The product is passed on from the processor to consumer, vill the distributor. Here is
60
ALTERNA TfVE CROPS
counteractions to this by from this, products! tend to pubJic awareness t() beat new entrant.
of Collaborative Researcll three
success to the
r· l Marketing!
i Research:
to
7: Role Collaborative
Marketing Production Research
& Educalion
Processing
61
success or
/~rs SFrvtfNAR 20()6
nlarket should be studied to determine which products are demanded by the consumer, the economic feasibility comes next and finally the technical feasibility.
Currently, the Institute of Agriculture (Universitv of Malta) ie; number of projects alternCltive s)lecial referen~e to a nd aroma basic knowledge local plClnt~; Institute has a project, with the Departrnen Anatomv (Faculty of MedIcine and Surgery) to determine the potential pharmacological activity of a wide range of plants. This project is funded by the National RTDl. Another project developed between the Institute and the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment, involves the cultivation of a number of medicinal plants to conserve species through ex
'uitro propagZl stirnul(lte the interest producers these medicinal alternative project, still in its ph(lse, is between the Insti industri(ll to embark on the and finalizCltion of alternative crop-derived products, especii1lly with medicinal (lnd cosmetic values. This is not limited to 10cRI processors but (lIsa processors from EU member states.
Apart from research projects, the Institute has the responsibility of e<illc<lting the producer, processor; consumer vdved in this sector. the Institutt' iel rill1ge of courses related tel [I use Clnd eXl'lni! I medicinal and aromatic alternCl tive
62
ALTERNATIVE CROPS
Conclusions
Intheabsenceofgovernment itis new with new uses will be would seem for to fund
111~' to the ;,vhere them to m8 and CIt that point
private sector to take over. The help
assistance to through these means
to be
are willing to set things a matter of fact, as mentioned 8
start. Although it is crop will to
components, are on
References i"',tlilrcL E (2004)
same level
D, /3p)'llatb, J., Land E. Rpp('rt of i! Medicinal ilnd AWJ)1<ltic Plilnts, First Meeting, 12-14 ">p,,,p,nn,pj'
SkwE'niil, Interniltional rlitnt Cenetlc
CilIUill1;;l,
of
of
,'ffinllolis: A Source 0f (;811111),,
l'lll\'prsitv of Malta. Dissert8tipn
63
AI'S SEMINAR 2006
DIRECTIVE 20()4/24/EC, amenclilll';, ~s rcgilrcis traciitinll,,1 herbal meclicinill pr", i lireetive 20(l1 OJ) the code mcd win;,i I'l(lducts for Article 1 fi;11 cl
GrilllL The ComlHPll !culturalrolicy, Union Serie", tv1.lnll', r'IC~S, Inc, NY" F' 2iC
HilSI<lm, S,M, I'D, Sell ~nd PA. Wolseley. (1977) A Flnm of the M"ltese Islands Millin University rrl"'S, Millin, p. xvii
I ,ilnfrilIlCl.l. C. (JcllS) [ll1lVil 11 Semm il-H"'llex Maltin .. Edi;'lj"ni Klilbb Kotba tv"lti!' "'1.011<1.
Liln(, m,,,, C 1C)l)3) Hxejie" n,e,,1i, illilli II nhr~I" "Flier Milltin. e!'),!' !\Ihlic(lti())l~, tVllllt,:·, ~
Pitb!,!" St,ltistics fp, I 2000-2005. I"r Rurill Aff"ir' the' EIlVil'lllllllent, DC'pilrtllH:lIi oi Agriculturc'. Til Q~It, Milltil
I'QS (P1"nt QUilrilntill!' Stiltinn). 2006. StMi5lics for the yenrs 2000-2(]06. Ministry for Rllr,ll Afri1i" ,,"el the Environment, Depilrtment of Plant Health, Plilnl 8iotechnlogy CentrE', Lijn, Mnltn,
S~)ite"i p (10()~) Ani1IV5'S of R"tin: /\ FI,lV(lI1Olc1 f0!11'rl in CIII'I'Il/is Sf,inner L D'c'-':'ll1!'llt (If 1'11<11'111<1C\' ,'J";ity "f i'vlait~ r-Ji':,:eJ't.1r;oll (UnpublIshed)
Tnnti, ,\ (I The InsE'ct RCT"lkll' ;\,~tivity of Mculill1 /1I;lC'.';11I1I L. Essent.i"i ( Dcr',l1'!I1C'i1t nf rhclrlll<1(,v. l. ''''\',J':;itl' of M"ltil n,,;,eJ'l,lfJnn (Unpublichc..~
W<1lker, /\.1. (2004) Agriculture Co-ops ill Malta. ill The Future of Co-o~)er<1tJ.ves in tilt' Agriculture illld Fi,d'eries Sectors, I'nlCeedin.gs AI'S Setrlinilr, 23-34
64