An Investigation into Risk Resources of Medicinal Plants in Kermanshah Province (The case of Papper mint)

The present research was conducted to investigate the risks of peppermint production in Kermanshah province, Iran. The research was a quantitative study in paradigm, an applied study in terms of objective, and a descriptive survey in terms of data collection methodology. The statistical population consisted of 101 peppermint farmers whose data were collected by the complete enumeration technique. The research instrument was a researcher made questionnaire consisting of two sections pertaining to the demographic and occupational characteristics of the participants and some items to measure risks. The data were analyzed by opinion polls and related formulas. The users of the peppermint medicinal plant ranked the three main risks in the order of institutional, price/market, and human social in importance. The most important institutional risks included the lack of government support for crop selling and marketing at a reasonable price, the lack of support for the presentation of climatically compatible cultivars in the province, and the lack of government support for farmers regarding training and introduction of cultivation of medicinal plants. The main market risks of peppermint were listed as the involvement of intermediaries and dealers, the lack of (formal/informal) guaranteed sales, and the lack of equipment and facilities for product processing and packaging. The most important human risks were enumerated as high labor costs, labor unavailable for cultivation, and the lack of labor knowledge and skill of harvest operation.