Quang Nam is one of two provinces growing Ngoc Linh ginseng in Vietnam. Ngoc Linh ginseng is a particularly rare medicinal species and only grows in the Ngoc Linh mountains, the area between Quang Nam and Kon Tum province. To protect and introduce the Ngoc Linh ginseng brand more widely, in August 2016 the National Office of Intellectual Property granted a certificate of geographical indication for Ngoc Linh ginseng to Quang Nam and Kon Tum.
A Ngoc Linh ginseng tree in the forest. (Photo: Ngoc Anh)
In Quang Nam province, Ngoc Linh ginseng is grown primarily in Nam Tra My district.
Tran Duy Dung, Chairman of the district People’s Committee, said that the locality has promulgated support mechanisms for ethnic minorities to develop Ngoc Linh ginseng, including leasing forest environment services and providing 80% of the capital for growers.
“Nam Tra My district has 18 enterprises who have planted and developed Ngoc Linh ginseng, and one enterprise that built a medicinal herb processing factory. We hope to attract more businesses to invest in processing Ngoc Linh ginseng products, such as medicinal herbs, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and drinks,” said Dung.
Ngoc Linh ginseng products (Photo: Ngoc Anh)
Highly effective in treating diseases and maintaining health, Ngoc Linh ginseng is a valuable product. Most of the 1,600 households that grow Ngoc Linh ginseng in Nam Tra My have become economically well-off.
Pham Hung, one of the ginseng producers, told VOV that it takes at least 5 years to grow Ngoc Linh ginseng before harvesting. About 30 ginseng plants yield one kilo of ginseng roots. One kilo is worth about 3,500 USD.
Ginseng grows wild in the forest. In order to cultivate ginseng, you need to carefully prepare the soil with humus and plant it under the canopy of old forest trees, said Hung.
“Ngoc Linh ginseng, which grows on Ngoc Linh Mountain, has a different quality. The older it is, the more valuable it becomes. My family has several thousand ginseng plants. If the weather is favorable, we can earn a profit of thousands of dollars – even tens of thousands of dollars – per year,” Hung said.
Under the ginseng development program until 2030 with a vision to 2045 approved by the Prime Minister in June, Vietnam will preserve wild ginseng genetic resources in combination with the protection and development of forests and the preservation of the forest ecosystem toward expanding the ginseng growing area to 21,000 ha by 2030.
All the ginseng growing areas will be given planting area codes and geographical indications. By 2045, Vietnam will become the world’s largest ginseng producer, according to the program.
Ho Quang Buu, Deputy Chairman of the Quang Nam provincial People’s Committee, said, “Quang Nam province aims to become a medicinal center of the central and Central Highlands regions. Local people are growing ginseng in combination with forest and environmental protection.”
A Ngoc Linh ginseng festival in Nam Tra My district (Photo: Ngoc Anh)
Nam Tra My district regularly organizes Ngoc Linh ginseng festivals and market days to introduce and sell ginseng products and other local agricultural products. Nguyen Thi Huynh, Director of the Huynh Sam Company in Nam Tra My district, told VOV that the company uses every ginseng festival or market day to sell the ginseng products.
Established in 2016, Huynh Sam company has 5 hectares of ginseng. Ginseng must be grown at an altitude of 1,800 meters to 2,000 meters and requires rich humus. In the summer, the plant must be watered once every 10-30 days.
“Ngoc Linh ginseng can be soaked in wine and honey, and its leaves can be used to make tea for a healthy drink. Fresh ginseng roots can be eaten raw. Ngoc Linh ginseng has been recognized as the best ginseng in the world,” said Huynh.
Vietnam has the potential to turn Ngoc Linh ginseng into a spearhead economic sector worth billions of dollars per year. Consequently, Quang Nam has been developing Ngoc Linh ginseng to make it a national brand and export it all over the world.
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