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Harvest, Process and Market Alaskan "Devil`s Club" Oplopanax horridum

Award Information
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Branch: N/A
Contract: 2001-33610-10331
Agency Tracking Number: 2001-00333
Amount: $70,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 2001
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
P.O. Box 100558
Anchorage, AK 99510
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 David Smith
 () -
 dcsalaska@customcpu.com
Business Contact
 David Smith
Title: Owner
Phone: (907) 333-8815
Email: dcsalaska@cusromcpu.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

China uses more Asian devil's club (Oplopanax elatus) as a medical herb than all Alaskan agricultural export production combined. We are evaluating the harvesting, processing and marketing of the Alaskan devil's club (Oplopanax horridum) that is primarily owned or controlled by Native Alaskan residents in 13 coastal communities. The Japanese call this plant (Echinopanax japonicus nakai) and the Chinese and Russians call it (Oplopanax elatus). Most Asian medical research is written in either Chinese or Japanese. The root has never been harvested commercially in North America and will make a significant economic impact on those residents of the Alaskan villages that cooperate in this sustainable agriculture endeavor to harvest Alaska's most "obnoxious" weed in a reasonable and renewable manner. The root grows primarily in the coastal forest of Alaska from Kodiak in the west to Ketchikan in the southeastern portion of the State. It is estimated to dominate well over 50,000 acres of land and can yield a profit in excess of $10,000 per acre if our early estimates supplied by Chinese scientists can be verified. Each root is estimated to be worth in excess of $5 each; with the price of a dried root varying from $10 to $30 per dried pound. Some Chinese pharmaceutical firms appear to be interested in the bark of the root, which may be worth $200 per dried pound.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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