The National Agency for Nature Conservation (ANPN) has begun setting up an inventory of the national heritage of medicinal and fragrant plants for their development while their import amounted at $25 million annually.
For the development of the agricultural potential, the ANPN currently works with various agencies in charge of youth training to encourage them to invest in this industry, Director General of the agency, Ayad Hanifi told APS.
Only in the first eight months of 2014, Algeria imported worth $23.4 million 10.4 million kg of flowers and further plants, against $14.2 million (7 million kg) during the same period of 2013, according to the statistics of the National Centre of Data Processing and Statistics of Customs (CNIS).
The development of this industry is a "positive investment" with many opportunities notably the pharmaceutical and cosmetic laboratory, said Hanifi.
"If we can materialize this project, we can greatly reduce or even stop the import of flowers from the Netherlands, and other categories of plants supplied by Syria, Saudi Arabia and China," he added.
In collaboration of the Training and Vocational Education Ministry, this agency plans to provide training in the techniques of plant cultivation and conservation for youth wishing to invest in this field.
For bigger campaign of information for youth, a first show of investment in the medicinal end pharmaceutical herbs will be organized in partnership with several universities by the end of 2014 in the province of El Oued.