A herb producers group says a decision to not proceed with a new production plant can be seen as good for the industry. A Saskatoon-based company called Bioriginal Food and Science is dropping plans to build a plant to create the components of herbal medicines.

Connie Kehler is vice president of the Saskatchewan Herb and Spice Association. She says some herb producers may see this as a negative. But she says this is a good opportunity for the industry to seek alternative markets.

"What they need to do is stand on their own and be a group within themselves," Kehler says. "If this would have happened years ago, it would have been a big blow to the industry. Right now, the amount of knowledge that the growers have and the networking system that we have within this province and within this industry, we've got the tools to keep going."

A few years ago, Bioriginal recruited herb growers to provide the raw materials for the plant it was supposed to build. But now the company says markets are in no shape for them to proceed.

Still, Kehler says an international herb conference planned for Saskatoon this summer is indication that the industry is strong.