Fed: Farmers should cash in on medical crops: report

AAP General News (Australia)
12-13-2000
Fed: Farmers should cash in on medical crops: report

By Shane Wright

CANBERRA, Dec 13 AAP - Paddy melon, St John's Wort and soybeans have been touted as
likely choices in a major expansion of Australia's pharmaceutical crops.

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), in a new report
on possible pharmaceutical crops, believes the paddy melon could be used to combat tinea
and ringworm.

The RIRDC report also suggested weeds such as the already popular herb St John's wort
and devil's claw could be farmed in Australia and become the main ingredients of vitamin
supplements, form the basis of new drugs, or be functional health foods in their own right.

The manufacture of medicinal and pharmaceutical products has grown from $4.6 billion
in 1997/1998 to $6 billion last financial year.

But one of the report's authors, David Michael, believes Australian farmers have an
even greater role to play in the industry.

"Interest in the area of pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and industrial products will
continue to grow and offer opportunities to Australian agriculture.

"Concerted research, planning and market development is required."

The RIRDC report earmarks oats, soybeans, canola, kangaroo meat and some sea plants
as prime for development.

It suggests more research go into plants that have industrial uses, such as the gum
from wattles (as a possible glue) and the nuts from mangoes, which have potential as a
fat substitute.

The RIRDC believes that cultivating many native plants to use in medicines or pharmaceuticals
could be a way of encouraging greater participation in agriculture by Aborigines.

The report recommended that a district pilot program be set up for Aboriginal groups
to grow such crops.

AAP sw/daw/mjmm/bwl

KEYWORD: PHARMACEUTICAL

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