"Last year, the local herbal products business had already exceeded the RM7 billion mark .

"We expect a 10 per cent growth in herbal products business this year," he told Business Times, after a briefing on the coming fourth Asia Pacific Natural Products Exposition (Natpro) scheduled from March 29 to 31, in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

MHC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology, is jointly organising the exposition with the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia and EcoEvent Sdn Bhd.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is scheduled to officiate at the launching of Natpro 2007.

Asmadi said there are three categories of natural herbal products of which the herbal remedies contributed the most business in the industry, followed by flavour and fragrance, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.

Explaining the potential of the herbal industry, he said Malaysia will further grow its business in the industry since it has more than 1,100 species of ferns, 12,500 species of flowering plants and 18,500 species of fauna, which have the potential to be developed.

He also pointed out that consumers will be the industry's growth drivers as Malaysians are now more aware of consuming less chemical-based medicines and healthy food.

"As an alternative, they (consumers) now prefer to consume natural products and take herbal medicines," he said.

He said the Government's approval, in allowing hospitals to incorporate traditional and complementary medicine practices, will result in an increase in demand for natural herbal products.

Asmadi expects a good response and turnout at the Natpro 2007. Natpro project director Sakinah Ramli said some 90 per cent of the 151 booths provided for the exposition has been booked by exhibitors.

"We expect some 120 companies to take up the 1,300 sq m of space provided for the exposition by next month. Last year, a total of 63 companies participated in the exposition," she said.