An article in recent issue of Ambio by Carsten Smith Olsen of the Danish Centre for Forest, Landscape, and Planning at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Copenhagen estimates the national-level annual volume and value of commercial medicinal plant harvest in Nepal.

Based on the data collected from local medicinal plant traders in 15 districts in Nepal and regional wholesalers in India, the study estimates the annual trade volume to be in the range of 7000 to 27 000 tons and the corresponding annual export value in the range of US$7–30 million. Around 10% of rural households are involved in commercial harvesting.

Lower ecological zones dominate supplies in both volume and value terms; herbs constitute the most important life form in value terms. Around 36% of volume and 51% of value derive from destructive harvesting. The paper also briefly discusses the implications of findings for Himalayan medicinal plant conservation and trade.

Olsen, Carsten Smith. Valuation of Commercial Central Himalayan Medicinal Plants.
AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment 2005 34: 607-610