Final article: The need for a sustainable development strategy.

Given the potential, current situation, and existing bottlenecks, Lao Cai needs a systematic, long-term, and sustainable strategy for developing its medicinal plant industry.

In the context of a growing consumer trend towards "safe, green" products to protect health, the production of natural medicinal products is becoming a new economic sector worldwide. Adhering to the National Strategy for the Development of Medicinal Plants to 2030, with a vision to 2045, Lao Cai province has identified the development of the medicinal plant industry as a crucial pillar in its socio-economic development. Accordingly, the province focuses on effectively exploiting its climatic and soil potential to develop raw material areas; expanding deep processing capacity, gradually forming a modern medicinal plant industry; and linking medicinal plant development with the protection of the ecological environment, forests, and biodiversity.

In reality, the global trend in medicinal plant development is to establish large-scale raw material areas with sufficient production to apply science and technology in cultivation and processing. Meanwhile, in Lao Cai, production remains largely small-scale and fragmented, making it difficult to compete. To leverage the strengths of medicinal plants and develop the medicinal plant industry, it is essential to first establish sufficiently large specialized cultivation areas, organize production management along the value chain, promote deep processing, and ensure quality. Simultaneously, the development of medicinal plants must go hand in hand with exploiting indigenous knowledge, strengthening international cooperation to shorten research time, conserve and enrich genetic resources, and access modern extraction and processing technologies, along with product promotion.

Natural herbal products are becoming a distinctive brand of Lao Cai .

According to Dr. Luong Van Hao, Deputy Director of the Sa Pa Medicinal Plant Research Center (Institute of Medicinal Plants, Ministry of Health): “It is no exaggeration to say that the people of Lao Cai are living on a ‘green gold mine’ – medicinal plants. This is a valuable, long-term resource that is always growing and developing, unlike gold, which can only be mined once. Currently, the Vietnamese pharmaceutical industry still has to import many types of medicinal plants from abroad, many of which could be grown in Lao Cai, such as medicinal plants that support the treatment of cancer, diabetes, fatty liver disease, and dyslipidemia…”

Mr. Do Tien Sy, Director of Traphaco Sa Pa One-Member Limited Company, believes that the current trend in agricultural economic development requires multi-sectoral integration. Lao Cai has great tourism potential, creating favorable conditions for the formation of agricultural and medicinal plant tourism models. Therefore, specific land allocation needs to be planned for people and businesses to invest in planting and processing medicinal plants, linked to attracting tourists, following the successful models of South Korea and China. To achieve this, systematic investment in technology, infrastructure, and stable planning policies are necessary to create an environment for the sustainable development of medicinal plants.

Therefore, for medicinal plants to become a key economic sector of the province, a complete medicinal plant ecosystem needs to be formed, encompassing gene conservation, seed production, the establishment of concentrated raw material areas, and modern processing industries. This should focus on effectively exploiting the unique ecological potential and indigenous knowledge, and strongly applying science and technology and digital transformation throughout the entire value chain. The goal is to build Lao Cai into a regional center for research, conservation, development, and processing of medicinal plants, linked with tourism, while simultaneously building brands and expanding domestic and export markets.

The goal is to develop Lao Cai into a regional center for research, conservation, development, and processing of medicinal herbs, linked with tourism, while also building brand recognition and expanding domestic and export markets.

Regarding the orientation of developing Lao Cai into a national center for medicinal herbs, in recent times, Provincial Party Secretary Trinh Viet Hung and the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee have decisively directed the government and relevant agencies to focus on researching and advising on strategic solutions for the development of the medicinal herb industry. He affirmed that Lao Cai has all the necessary conditions to develop the medicinal herb industry into a "medicinal herb industry," therefore, a comprehensive plan with a specific legal framework needs to be developed and implemented.

Emphasizing the strategic plan for developing medicinal plants in Lao Cai province for the period 2026-2030, the Provincial Party Secretary stated that this is an important part of implementing Resolution 57 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science and technology development and innovation. To successfully implement this, it is necessary to focus on commissioning scientists to research, build brands, and create a visual identity for medicinal plants in Lao Cai province.

At the same time, focus on reviewing and allocating land for the development of medicinal plant raw material areas; developing processing, building brands and expanding markets; and developing human resources, linked with the exploitation of indigenous knowledge.

In particular, the Provincial Party Secretary requested the Provincial People's Committee and relevant departments to focus on researching the location and area, and developing a plan for building a medicinal plant museum in the direction of a digital museum, serving as a place to preserve rare and valuable medicinal plant genetic resources for scientific research.

The development of medicinal plant seed sources using high technology is attracting attention from businesses in Lao Cai province.

On February 3, 2026, on behalf of the Executive Committee of the Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee, Comrade Trinh Viet Hung, Member of the Central Executive Committee of the Party, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, signed and issued two important thematic resolutions, including the Resolution on the strategic development of medicinal plants for the period 2026-2030, with a vision to 2050 (Resolution No. 48). The issuance of the Resolution on the strategic development of medicinal plants clearly demonstrates the political determination of the Provincial Party Committee in making medicinal plants an important commodity production sector; a pillar of green and sustainable agriculture and forestry.

Lao Cai is one of the provinces with the largest cinnamon growing area in the country.

Mr. Tran Minh Sang, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lao Cai province, said: “In implementing the National Strategy for the Development of Vietnamese Medicinal Plants to 2030, with a vision to 2045, Lao Cai has identified the development of medicinal plants as a green economic sector with high added value, linked to tourism, culture, and traditional medicine, aiming to become a key medicinal plant region of the country. Initially, the province has identified more than 20 key, rare medicinal plants for conservation and propagation; forming key medicinal plant regions in Sa Pa, Bac Ha, Bat Xat, Van Ban, Pung Luong, Mu Cang Chai…, while investing in systematic processing technology. This will be the foundation for Lao Cai to gradually become a national medicinal plant center, affirming the brand position of medicinal plants on the world map.”

Recognizing the development of medicinal plants as one of the pillars of Lao Cai's agricultural economy and agricultural tourism, the Resolution sets specific goals: by 2030, strive to establish concentrated medicinal plant production areas with an area of ​​over 8,500 hectares and a production volume of approximately 40,000 tons; the total value of processed medicinal plants will reach 2,000 billion VND per year, more than double the figure for 2025; focus on development under forest canopy; build a brand for Lao Cai medicinal plants; attract investors to form a medicinal plant industry; and develop medicinal plants in conjunction with tourism to effectively exploit the province's potential and strengths.

As a leading expert on Vietnamese medicinal plants, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Van On, a senior lecturer at Hanoi University of Pharmacy, believes that to successfully implement the medicinal plant development strategy, Lao Cai province needs a "chief architect of medicinal plants" - someone who connects national and international knowledge, acting as a "conductor" throughout the entire process. At the same time, it is necessary to build and implement a three-axis herbal architecture - cultivation, processing, and distribution to the market - in a systematic manner, assigning the highest professional responsibility to specific individuals, rather than delegating it to a general collective.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Van On, the development roadmap for the medicinal plant industry needs to be viewed at three levels of focus. Firstly, "national medicinal plants" – large-scale medicinal plants of national significance, in which cinnamon, one of the "four great medicinal plants" (ginseng, deer antler, cinnamon, and rehmannia), is a suitable choice because Lao Cai cinnamon has already proven its quality in the international market and has a large cultivation area. Secondly, "provincial medicinal plants" with distinctive local plants such as hawthorn and ground ginseng. Finally, "community medicinal plants," developing the value of local medicinal plants and remedies linked to the livelihoods of the people.

With clear objectives, the decisive involvement of Party committees and authorities at all levels, and the support of scientists and businesses, the medicinal plant industry can absolutely become an economic pillar of Lao Cai, contributing to improving the lives of people in the highlands and affirming its position on the national and global medicinal plant map.

Presented by HOANG THU

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/bai-cuoi-can-chien-luoc-phat-trien-ben-vung-post892803.html