Marketing Efficiency and Marketing Margins of Taranjabin Manna (Alhagi maurorum) in Khorasan Razavi Province.

Arid and semi-arid regions offer significant potential for producing unique medicinal and pharmaceutical products. Understanding marketing efficiency, value chains, and economic returns from such products can enhance income generation and support sustainable development in local communities. Taranjabin manna, derived from Alhagi maurorum (commonly known as camelthorn), is a valuable traditional medicinal product in Iran, used in ethnomedicine as an expectorant, demulcent, and laxative. This study investigated the marketing margins and efficiency of Taranjabin manna across the supply chain using structured questionnaires administered to producers (harvesters), wholesalers, and retailers in Jovin and Kashmar counties of Iran. Marketing margins were calculated at each level, while qualitative indicators, including packaging, sales channels, and market connectivity, were assessed to evaluate overall market performance. Results showed that the retail-level marketing margin 1400000 IRR was substantially higher than the wholesale margin 3700000 IRR. Notably, producers (harvesters) captured 51.5% of the final consumer price, a relatively high share compared to many non-timber forest products and medicinal plants in similar supply chains. Packaging quality emerged as a key factor influencing final price formation and consumer purchase intent. The study also highlighted the role of intermediaries in price determination and the limited direct market access for harvesters. These findings suggest that improving packaging standards, strengthening direct market linkages, and enhancing supply-chain transparency could increase harvester returns, promote sustainable harvesting practices, and reduce dependence on livestock grazing in fragile arid ecosystems. Such interventions may support alternative livelihoods and contribute to environmental conservation in Iran's drylands.