Links to agriculture

Apparently, the Ministry of Agriculture has no specific mandate related to the cultivation of medicinal plants. It has, however, identified 1000 species of medicinal plant and 380 species of medicinal fungi of economic importance. Medicinal plants are seen as a companion crop to food crops, and an additional source of income, especially in remote and highland areas.

The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Institutes of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are actively engaged in medicinal-plant research, including cultivation. In 1987, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences set up a national germplasm bank for crop genetic resources. At present, it has 230,000 accessions, but it is not known if they include medicinal plants.