ENRD Main Stories Archives

Project of the month: New storage facility improves quality of Czech medicinal herbs

Medicinal plant cultivation has a long tradition in the region of South Bohemia in the Czech Republic. Locally grown herbs and plants are widely used in the cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical industries.

Byliny Mikeš is a leading medicinal herb producer in the region (https://www.bylinymikes.cz). The company purchases, processes and sells all kinds of botanical products and is keenly attentive to the quality of its products and services.

Looking to improve the quantity and quality of its storage facilities, Byliny Mikeš decided to modernise its site and to launch a campaign to encourage the local cultivation of medicinal plants. The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) invested €180 648 – around 30% of the total investment required – which allowed for the building of a new purpose-built storage facility providing optimum storage conditions. This new structure not only helped to improve the quality of the products, it has increased productivity.

South Bohemia is primarily an agricultural and tourist area with rich tradition of fish farming. This project provided an important benefit to the entire community by creating jobs, boosting the economy and preserving the traditional medicinal plant harvesting skills.

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The ENRD’s RDP Project Database is full of examples of how the EAFRD is being used by rural entrepreneurs.