A. POPULARITY
Producing medicinal plants for the market requires that a grower have some understanding of the demand for plants. A farmer will produce plants that he or she knows will be easy to sell. We need to find out how large the demand is for certain medicinal plants. If you think that there are other plants that are important as they are becoming scarce, then add them to this list.
1. Which medicinal plants have you sold the most of in the last year? This is the number of times that the plant has been sold.
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Name of medicinal plant |
High sales |
Moderate sales |
Low sales |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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2. Have the sales of these medicinal plants changed or not in the last five years?
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Name of medicinal plant |
Increased |
Decreased |
The same |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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3. Please give reasons why you think there have been changes.
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4. Do you think the demand for these medicinal plants will be high or low in future?
1. Demand will remain high
2. Demand will remain the same
3. Demand will decrease
4. I cannot tell
5. Give reasons for your answer?
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6. Which times of the year are these medicinal plants in the greatest demand?
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Name |
Spring |
Summer |
Autumn |
Winter |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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7. Why would you say the medicinal plants are demanded in certain seasons?
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Name |
When plant can be found |
Time when illness is common |
Harvesting ritual |
Other reasons |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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8. Which medicinal plants would you say were most frequently requested by the clients?
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Name |
Requested most frequently |
Requested moderately |
Not frequently requested |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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9. What level of medicinal plants would you like to stock?
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Name |
Higher stock level |
Medium stock level |
Lower stock level |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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10. What determines the level of stock that is desired?
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Name |
Reason (cost, demand, irregular supply, etc) |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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B. SUBSTITUTABILITY
Before growing medicinal plants for traditional healing purposes, it is important to know whether the plants can be easily substituted with other plants. For example, if unukani can be substituted with undlangwenya or umkhondweni, then it may not be worthwhile to grow unukani. We therefore need to understand the substitutability of the plants.
11. Do these medicinal plants have any substitutes? Please give name of substitute/s if the answer is yes.
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Name |
Yes |
No |
Name of substitute/s |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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12. What is causing substitution to take place?
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13. Do you accept the substitutes as being effective?
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Name |
Readily Acceptable |
Acceptable |
Not Acceptable |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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14. Is the use of plants changing over time?
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Name |
New uses |
New part used |
Smaller size used |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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C. USAGE
When growing any crops for the market it is important to know how many plants to produce for the market. The farmer must have some idea how many plants he or she can sell to the market every year. We therefore need to get some indication of how many medicinal plants were sold in the market in the last year.
15. What unit of measure do you use for selling the medicinal plants?
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Name |
Unit (cup, handful, etc) |
Weight |
Size (thickness of bark or bulb) |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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16. How often do you sell these medicinal plants in a month?
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Name |
Number of times a month |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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17. How long can you keep the medicinal plants before they loose their healing properties?
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Name |
Shelf life (months, etc) |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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18. What quantity of these medicinal plants did you sell this last year?
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Name |
Unit |
Weight |
Quantity |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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19. How do you package the medicine you sell?
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D. SOURCES OF SUPPLY AND CUSTOMERS
Understanding the supply network is important for potential plant growers. A farmer needs to know where they will be able to sell their crop, how far it will be to the market and how long it will take them to sell the produce. In addition, it is important for the growers to know how the customers are going to react in the future. Most medicinal plants take at least a few years before they can be harvested, and therefore farmers need to know whether or not the crop they put in the ground this year will have a market in a few years time.
20 Who do you buy these medicinal plants from (gatherers, street sellers, muthi shops, traditional healers, etc)? Where do you buy these medicinal plants (the name of the place) and how often do you buy them per month?
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Name |
Seller |
Place |
Per Month |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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21. Which of the following customers do you sell most often to? Rank them.
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Patients looking for a treatment |
[ ] |
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Street sellers |
[ ] |
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Traditional healers |
[ ] |
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Other specify |
[ ] |
22. Where do most of your customers come from?
1. Within town
2. From other provinces
3. From out of town
4. Do not know
23. Do your customers ask for the medicinal plants by name or do they describe their problem and ask you to prescribe the appropriate medicine?
1. Customers ask for a specific medicine by name
2. Problem is described and prescription given
24. Why do customers come to your shop instead of visiting clinics? Indicate your level of agreement/disagreement to the following reasons why your customers might visit your shop instead of a clinic.
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Strongly Disagree |
Disagree |
Do not know |
Agree |
Strongly Agree |
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1. |
Customers want a traditional medicine |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
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2. |
Customers could not be cured at the clinics |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
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3. |
There are no clinics close to where the customers live |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
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4. |
Other medicines are too expensive |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
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5. |
Other reason |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
25. Do you think your customers are comfortable coming to a Muthi shop?
1. They are uncomfortable
2. They appear comfortable
3. I do not know
26. Are customers concerned about price?
1. Do they bargain with you
2. Do they accept your prices
3. Do they leave if your prices are too high for them
27. If the medicinal plants the customers are looking for is not available, do they
1. Settle for an alternative
2. Leave the shop and look elsewhere
3. Not sure
28. Would you say your customers are concerned about quality?
1. Not concerned
2. Do not know
3. Very concerned
29. Are your customers (tick the appropriate block):
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Male |
[ ] |
female |
[ ] |
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Well dressed |
[ ] |
poorly dressed |
[ ] |
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Literate |
[ ] |
illiterate |
[ ] |
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Speak English |
[ ] |
don't speak English |
[ ] |
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Poor |
[ ] |
wealthy |
[ ] |
30. How would customers react if traditional medicines were sold in modern packaging?
1. They would buy less
2. They would buy more
3. They would not change their use
E. PRICES AND SEASONAL VARIATIONS
If medicinal plants are going to be grown for the market, then farmers need to have some understanding of their prices and variations that can be expected in the market. For example, a farmer would need to know what prices could be expected at different times of the year, in different regions, and from different buyers.
31. What are the selling prices for the medicinal plants listed below?
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Name |
Unit |
Price |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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32. Kindly recall how prices have changed in recent years. How much did you buy the various medicinal plants for in 1985, 1990, and in 1995? (Remember to quote prices for the same unit sizes.)
|
Name |
Unit |
Price in 1995 |
Price in 1990 |
Price in 1985 |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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33. Have the prices of the substitute medicinal plants also changed or not over the years?
1. Prices have changed just like the original medicinal plants
2. Prices for substitutes have not changed at all
3. Other
34. Are there any price variations in the different areas you buy your medicinal plants from?
1. Prices differ depending on where you buy from
2. The prices tend to be the same in different areas
3. I do not know
35. Indicate whether or not there are differences in the prices of the medicinal plants during different times of the year.
|
Name |
Large seasonal variations in prices |
Small price variations |
No price variations |
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Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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36. What reasons would you give for the price variations?
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F. INFORMATION ON CULTIVATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS
An important factor in the marketing of medicinal plants are the attitudes which users will have towards cultivated plants. We need to understand how traders, traditional healers and other users feel about cultivated plants to assess the potential for cultivating these plants.
37. If these medicinal plants had to be cultivated, would you accept them or not?
|
Name |
Accept them |
Not accept them |
|
Isibhaha |
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Indungulo, Isiphephetho |
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Igibisila |
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Umathunga |
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Unukani |
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Ikhathazo |
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Umlahleni |
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Inguduza |
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Umathithibala |
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38. If you answered 'not acceptable' to any of the plants above, please explain why?
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39. What would you use if certain wild plants are no longer available?
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40. Would you be interested in buying cultivated plants from the growers?
1. Yes
2. No
3. I do not know
G. GENERAL QUESTIONS
41. Which of the age categories do you belong to?
1. 15-25
2. 26-35
3. 36-45
4. 46-55
5. 56-65
6. 66+
42. Gender
1. Male
2. Female
43. What support would you like to get in order to improve your business? (e.g. formal business training, credit, regular plants supply etc.) In order of priority:
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1) |
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2) |
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3) |
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4) |
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5) |
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44. How many patients do you treat per day? |
[ ] |
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45. What is the average cost of a treatment per patient? |
[ ] |
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46. How many people work at your practice/shop? |
[ ] |
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47. How many people gather plants for you? |
[ ] |
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48 How many sacks of muthi do you buy per month? |
[ ] |
