Nepalgunj-based Herb Lab useless

Nepalgunj, July 9: A Herbs Laboratory, established here by the government two years ago for lab testing of herbs, has now been rendered useless.The government had established the lab at a cost of Rs. 1.3 million at the central office of Nepal Herbs Association, Nepalgunj.

The laboratory has not come into operation for the past three months due to lack of technician.

The lab has become useless after the Department of Plant Resources failed to send replacement of the technician it transferred some eight months ago, said Chairman of Nepal herbs Association, Mohammad Yakub Ansari.

As a result, herbs and medical plants entrepreneurs in the region are facing problem of checking the quality of herbs collected from different districts of the Mid-western region and to be exported to third countries including different cities of neighbouring India.

According to statistics of the Association, around seven million kilograms of different herbs are exported to different countries including India, the United States of America, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, France, Switzerland, Australia and Germany every year through Nepal-India transit point of Banke district. RSS