Training sessions of experts from all institutions charged with the issuing of permits for the collection of wild medicinal plants in the Plovdiv District took place from May to June 2014. Municipality environmental experts; experts from the regional units of South Central State Forest Enterprise and from the Plovdiv District Administration and environmental experts from the neighboring municipalities from Stara Zagora District) all participated in the trainings.
Key issues regarding the conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants were presented at the events. The training sessions included a theoretical portion, presented by experts from the Plovdiv Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water and the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. There were also visits to medicinal plant habitats. The participants acquainted themselves with tens of medicinal plant species and the rules for their collection in their natural surroundings. The programme, presentations and sample forms can be downloaded in Bulgarian from the following links:
- Handbook for journalists working on the topic of herbs, containing the most important information on medicinal plants, their use and conservation, as well as the messages necessary for creating publications, broadcasts and campaigns on the subject.
- Training Manual for experts issuing permits for MAP collection for commercial purposes
- Conservationally significant medicinal plants – presentation
- Cultivation of medicinal plants – presentation
- Rules for medicinal plant collection – presentation
- Economically significant medicinal plants – presentation
- Certificate for cultivated herbs – sample form
- Permit for the use of medicinal plants – sample form
An general example (trainings varied according to participant’s needs) of the training programme can be downloaded in English here.
Mobile Information and Consultation Center for key target groups
In March 2015, information meetings took place in six locationc accross Plovdiv district. Farmers, herb collectors, buyers and processors and all those interested in a livelihood based on medicinal plants received information and a personal consultation at the events. The consultations were organised in cooperation with the regional office of the National Service for Agricultural Consultation in Plovdiv.
Some of Bulgaria’s leading experts answered questions about:
- The value of medicinal plants as a natural resource. Sustainable medicinal plant use – collection and primary processing rules, rules for the protection of populations. Quality requirements for herbs. Main markets for Bulgarian herbs.
- Legislature in the sphere of medicinal plant protection and use. Requirements for buying and primary processing facilities.
- Possibilities for cultivation of medicinal plants – what is the technique of cultivation?
- Techniques for cultivation of medicinal plants.
- Organic cultivation of medicinal plants.
- The forecasts for support of farmers in the cultivation and processing of medicinal plants for the new period of the Rural Development Programme (2014-2020)
- Business Plan of the Farm
Anyone who wishes to receive more information about the consultations or ask specific questions can contact us here.
Radio broadcasts about the sustainable use and cultivation of medicinal plants can be heard here.