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