Faiza Tehseen

Pakistan needs to go for mint farming for extraction of menthol, which will not only meet the local industry’s needs but also save handsome foreign exchange spent on its import, opined Dr Riffat Tahira, programme leader of the National Medicinal, Aromatic, and Herbs Programme of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), while talking to WealthPK.

“Menthol is a valuable aromatic compound, but there is no industry in Pakistan for local production. Mint is the major natural source for extraction of menthol or mint camphor. A lack of awareness about mint farming is depriving our farmers of handsome profits. The soil and environment of Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Khyber Pakhtun Khwa (KP) provinces are superbly favourable for mint farming,” she said. Menthol, a key component of essential oils in the Mentha (mint) species, is abundant in Mentha Arvensis (wild mint) and Mentha Piperita (peppermint).

They can be easily grown in Pakistan. Mentha Arvensis is wild in the Himalayan Mountain range. From these varieties, a considerable essential oil ratio ranging from 0.5% to 5.0%, having 44% to 46% menthol ingredients can be extracted. Dr Tahira said, “Mint is a perennial herb lasting for years. Cultivated once with very low plantation material in a big area, it spreads through runners. After every two years, a little ploughing is enough. In frosty, snowy, cool, or dry weather, mint sheds its leaves, but the roots remain lively and start sprouting again in mid-January.

Mint crop is at its prime in March and can be harvested till November. It can be cultivated in different batches and they can be harvested every month.” China and India are the big market players in menthol industry. The Indian menthol industry flourished due to the government’s strategic efforts. According to the policy, a mint farmer will grow mint only and is trained by the government to operate menthol and essential oil distillation or extraction units in the same field. China is a far greater mint grower and menthol producer than India.

She said, “As compared to China and India, there is no government support for the farmers in Pakistan. A few mint growers only work in a niche. If they have a green market nearby or wholesalers, only then they grow it. Menthol importers in Pakistan earn handsomely through their import and supply to the local industry, and local production of menthol and other products threatens their businesses. Menthol raw material or mint is exported to other countries and the products made from it are sold in Pakistan at high prices.”

For poverty alleviation, mint essential oil extraction and menthol production can be adopted as a cottage industry. Usually, an amount of PKR300,000 is enough to establish a small unit. The same unit at a good up-scaling requires PKR10,00,000. To benefit the community largely, the said units can be installed collectively or through government support. The PARC scientist further said, “Through proper marketing, menthol producers can get good business from both national and international markets.

To approach the international markets, relevant government platforms, chambers of commerce and industry, and business promotion welfare foundations can be of great help for the Pakistani menthol producers. The establishment of this industry will open new windows of opportunity to strengthen the local and national economy.”  Discussing with WealthPK the indigenous production of menthol and other mint-derived products, chemist and businessman Mumtaz Hussein Mian said, “Rather than exporting raw mint to produce menthol and other derived products, it is necessary to establish local processing units.

In this concern, government support is important. To popularize menthol production in Pakistan, the government should incentivize this sector by offering low-cost processing units, controlled fuel rates, tax exemption, and other subsidies.” These steps, he said, were important to encourage the mint producers and investors. A serious support at the government scale will help generate a good number of work opportunities.

Menthol production will also strengthen the agriculture sector, he added. Menthol is widely used for various industrial items, including personal care products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, and beverages. It is largely used in the tobacco industry as well. The mint and menthol market is expected to grow to $59.15 billion by the year 2029 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.30%, from $39.13 billion in 2021.

Credit: INP-WealthPk