KAMPALA — The Herbal industry is one that thrives on innovation and consistent research for the existence of quality products and services.
In a recent virtual forum on All New Herbal and Traditional Alternatives Virtual Symposium held under the theme Certified Solutions Plus hosted by Vision Group last week, experts have been urged to draw emphasis on research and innovation as these have posed to be key drivers of boosting the herbal industry.
The symposium attracted leading herbal researchers, herbal and traditional companies, technology providers and investors in the herbal products supply chain, providing a platform for the Government and private sector to interface with herbal entities and practitioners, through sharing proficiencies on how the sector could be boosted.
“Research and innovation are key for the growth of the Herbal industry, as these aid in ensuring that products that are supplied to the market, are certified by regulators and can be consumed by the public, so as to avert any potential risk of having counterfeit products on the market. Therefore, manufactures or service providers in the Herbal industry, should collaborate with bodies like the National Drug Authority (NDA), Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), to mention a few so as to get guidance of products that meet regulators standards,” revealed Emmanuel Kabugo, Brand Manager Movit Body Care at Movit Products Limited.
According to UNBS, at least 232 metric tons of substandard goods worth Shs2.5b were destroyed in the 2019/20 financial year. The products included foodstuffs, iron sheets, cosmetics, cement, mattresses, toilet paper, polythene bags, electronics and alcohol.
“Our Herbal product range that includes; Movit Herbal Soap and Movit Herbal Jelly undergoes a quality standard check through a team of experts to ensure that all the ingredients that are to be used are in the exact measurement. This has been made possible by working closely with key regulators like Uganda UNBS, NDA, so that our customers get certified and quality products that can be used by individuals or families, Kabugo added.
Further noting that, “Technology continues to play a pivotal role in boosting the Herbal sector and other sector performance through quality products that can effectively compete and be consumed on the regional level. Thus we have seen a continued demand and growth of our products in our regional markets like Kenya, Tanzania, DRC, Mozambique, resultant of innovative approaches. “
“In addition to the market growth, we have been able to create employment avenues for a number of individuals including; the technical team that supports at the different stages of production, the individuals in the comminutes where we operate who are directly or in directly impacted by the business. Not forgetting to mention, the ingredients we use for our various products are collected from the various parts of the country, which makes such engagements like the All New Herbal and Traditional Alternatives Virtual Symposium, meaningful as these foster opportunities where stakeholders in the supply chain can deliberate on existing opportunities aimed at growing the overall sector performance,” Kabugo concluded.
