The LfL in Bavaria had the idea to provide farmers with the opportunity to diversify their products and recommended the cultivation of TCM plants. It took about 6 years from the idea to the release of a production recommendation. Suitable plant (seed) material had to be procured from China, and the climate in Bavaria had to match that of the region of origin. Many other factors also played a role in ensuring successful cultivation. It had to be proven that the quality consistency was maintained in the following years after the initial cultivation attempt, which is by no means a given.
Phytax carried out investigations meeting these requirements for the LfL. Phytax also made recommendations to the LfL regarding which plants were suitable for cultivation in Bavaria and why. Not only did the growth conditions (climate, soil) have to be right, but the plants also had to be those for which cultivation was worthwhile given the high wages in Germany. Furthermore, the herbs had to be in high demand and expensive in China.
Unfortunately, the LfL primarily focused on botany, which led to a farmer ending up with a huge amount of Xia Ku Cao (Prunellae spicae) on their hands, as it is first a herb with a low price and second, it is not in high demand in TCM, causing the farmer to lose interest in cultivation. There are still farmers in Bavaria who successfully cultivate TCM herbs, but their numbers have dwindled and the range of products has narrowed. Huang Qi (Astragalus) is an herb that grows well and has a price that satisfies the farmer. With the change of the board at the LfL, this TCM cultivation project unfortunately dwindled significantly.