Medicinal and aromatic plants market in Hatay province and development opportunities

The main purpose of this study was to present the production, processing, and marketing structure of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) which are commonly traded in the Hatay Province of Turkey. The main material of the study consisted of primary data which were collected through questionnaires from both MAPs producers, and processing enterprises in the region of Hatay. Also, in order to offer suggestions to the Hatay Province about some issues such as marketing, organization, and R&D activities; Depth Interviews were conducted in the Western Mediterranean and Aegean Regions where MAPs industry is the most developed in Turkey. According to the research results: in the Hatay Province, MAPs are mostly collected from nature; marketing organization is generally inefficient; in terms of local processing enterprises, there are problems about obtaining sufficient raw materials; and spice plants are marketed as semi-processed to the other districts. Also, there is a lack of producer organization of MAPs in the region. In order to improve MAPs industry in the province, it is necessary to establish a MAPs coordination and management unit where all shareholders are represented. Furthermore, focus should be on: extending MAPs cultivation, providing subsidies for producers and processing enterprises, developing effective marketing and publicity strategies for target markets, and establishing a MAPs research institution. Key Words: Medicinal and aromatic plant, production, processing, marketing organization, Hatay.