Medicinal plants open a way out of poverty for ethnic minorities in Phu Tho

The national target program for socio -economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas (2021-2025 period), according to Decision No. 1719 of the Government, clearly sets out the requirements: Developing medicinal plants associated with building concentrated raw material areas, organizing production, consumption, processing, science and technology, credit, and market linkages in the chain.

To achieve that goal, not only does it preserve valuable genetic resources, but it is also a sustainable poverty reduction strategy. In fact, in the communes of Dao Tru, Dai Dinh and Tam Duong Bac ( Phu Tho province), the model of growing medicinal plants associated with building concentrated raw material areas is showing clear effectiveness, contributing to creating sustainable livelihoods and increasing income for local people. Among them, Dao Tru commune is considered a highlight in expanding the area of planting Morinda officinalis.

Currently, the whole commune has about 20 households participating in growing Morinda officinalis, with more than 15 hectares of cultivated area, combining nursery, propagation and commercial crop planting. The model not only helps people make effective use of hilly land and land under forest canopy but also creates regular jobs for local workers.

The San Diu ethnic minority people at the foot of Tam Dao mountain take advantage of the hilly land, growing Morinda officinalis under the tree canopy for high economic efficiency, helping many households escape poverty.

Having been involved in the model of growing Morinda officinalis since 2015, Ms. Ly Thi Man, a San Diu ethnic group member in Dong Gieng village, Dao Tru commune, is one of the typical households developing the economy from Morinda officinalis. Previously, her family was a poor household, and their lives mainly depended on the eucalyptus hills for unstable income. After being informed by commune officials about the economic efficiency of medicinal plants and witnessing the stable demand of the market, she boldly converted 1 hectare of hill land to grow Morinda officinalis.

According to Ms. Man, Morinda officinalis is an easy-to-care-for plant with low investment costs and can be intercropped under other trees and still grow well. Right from the first harvest, with a selling price of about 200,000 VND/kg, her family earned more than 300 million VND in profit. The stable income from medicinal plants has helped her family gradually improve their lives, escape poverty and become well-off.

The garden of Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh's family in Dong But village, Dai Dinh commune brings in an income of nearly 1 billion VND.

In Dai Dinh commune, Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh, Dong But village is considered a pioneer in bringing the Ba Kich tree back to plant on his homeland. Through discussion, he confided: "During a visit to a model in Bac Giang , Quang Ninh, I learned about the Ba Kich tree, a type of tree that is both easy to grow and has high economic value, so I decided to try planting it on my family's hilly and forest land."

Currently, Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh is growing more than 1 hectare of Morinda officinalis with 20,000 roots and has harvested 15 tons of tubers, bringing in an income of nearly 1 billion VND, many times higher than growing cassava before.

Not only stopping at developing the household economy, Mr. Tinh also actively supports other farming households to develop together. He regularly guides people on techniques of land preparation, seed selection, propagation by cuttings and pest control. Thanks to that, in Dong But village, there are more than 10 households, mainly San Diu ethnic people, who have planted Morinda officinalis with an area of over 10 hectares, forming a concentrated medicinal plant growing area that initially brought about clear results.

Golden tea flowers bring high income to growers in Tam Duong Bac commune, Phu Tho province.

Implementing the policy of converting crop structure to suit the land conditions of the province. In 2018, Mr. Trieu Minh Phuc, Nhan Ly village, Tam Duong Bac commune invested in buying yellow camellia seedlings to plant in his home garden. After 3 years, Mr. Phuc's family harvested the first yellow camellia buds and collected more than 50kg of fresh flowers, with a selling price of about 850,000 VND/kg, total revenue of about fifty million VND.

From then on, Mr. Phuc decided to propagate the rare yellow camellia and convert the entire area of his family's mixed garden to grow yellow camellia. Up to now, in the garden of nearly 1 hectare, Mr. Phuc's family has more than 1,000 yellow camellia trees of many ages, of which about 300 are being harvested.

image00126122023mhsx12023260855-1706446656917-1706446657189920441103.jpg — The yellow camellia garden of Mr. Trieu Minh Phuc's family, Nhan Ly village, Tam Duong Bac commune.

Mr. Phuc said: Golden Camellia is a precious medicinal herb, so breeding to preserve and maintain this precious gene source not only meets the domestic pharmaceutical production needs but also brings high economic efficiency to growers. Therefore, his family is always determined to expand and develop the profession of growing and breeding golden Camellia, aiming to develop a clean, sustainable medicinal herb area and meet market demand.

According to statistics, currently 3 communes: Dao Tru, Dai Dinh and Tam Duong Bac have over 70 hectares of medicinal plants. Of which, 25 hectares are planted with Morinda officinalis, nearly 20 hectares are planted with yellow camellia and dozens of hectares of other medicinal plants such as: Solanum procumbens, Polyscias fruticosa, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, Panax notoginseng.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/cay-duoc-lieu-mo-loi-thoat-ngheo-cho-dong-bao-dan-toc-thieu-so-o-phu-tho-post1797918.tpo