Awakening the potential of medicinal plant development

Abundant potential

Gia Lai is one of the provinces with a large area of natural forests, rich and diverse in biology, with a rich forest flora and fauna. In particular, there are 573 rare medicinal species, with great potential for developing key medicinal products, contributing to creating jobs and increasing income for people. Currently, the whole province has more than 7,798 hectares of medicinal herbs. Of which, about 7,149 hectares are mainly grown on agricultural land, medicinal herbs under the forest canopy are about 649 hectares; concentrated in some districts such as: Kbang, Kong Chro, Mang Yang, Dak Doa, Chu Se, Chu Puh ...

In 2016-2017, pepper died, prices were low, many pepper farmers in Chu Se and Chu Puh districts fell into a difficult situation. While struggling to find suitable crops, some people from Thai Binh province came to buy land to grow Sophora japonica - a valuable medicinal plant with good drought resistance, quick harvest, and lower investment costs than other long-term industrial crops. Therefore, some households bought Sophora japonica seeds to experiment with and brought about positive economic results.

People in Kon Chieng commune (Mang Yang district) invest in expanding the area of Sophora japonica trees. Photo: ND

Ms. Mai Thi Hieu (Phu Ha village, Ia Blu commune, Chu Puh district) said: In previous years, many pepper plants in her family's pepper garden died, prices dropped, causing her life to fall into debt. When she saw some households in the commune growing Sophora japonica, she sought out to learn the techniques and experiences and applied them to about 2 hectares of land. After about 8 months, Sophora japonica plants began to be harvested evenly throughout the year.

Dried Sophora japonica flowers are purchased by traders at a stable price of 70-80 thousand VND/kg, sometimes up to 180-200 thousand VND/kg. Thanks to that, her family has a stable income of nearly 300 million VND/year.

“From the initial 2 hectares, I have now expanded the planting area to more than 3 hectares and am preparing for harvest. Sophora japonica not only brings a stable source of income but also creates jobs for many local workers in the care and harvesting stages,” said Ms. Hieu.

Mr. Dao Tien Tinh - Director of Dao Tien Phat Gia Lai One Member Co., Ltd. (Chu Se town) shared: "I have been growing Sophora japonica flowers for more than 5 years using high technology such as drip irrigation, using organic fertilizers... The Company's Sophora japonica tea products are recognized as 3-star OCOP.

Currently, with an area of 30 hectares planted in Chu Se and Mang Yang districts, each year, we harvest about 50 tons of dried Sophora japonica flowers, sold at a market price of about 60,000 VND/kg, with revenue reaching nearly 5 billion VND.

According to Mr. Tinh, Sophora japonica trees can be harvested year-round, are less susceptible to pests and diseases, and have lower investment costs than long-term industrial crops, so this is a stable economic development direction for the Company and farmers in the coming years.

Currently, there are 55 medicinal products recognized as 3-star OCOP and 4-star OCOP products. Many products are consumed strongly and highly appreciated by consumers such as: Solanum procumbens, lemongrass essential oil, ginseng and lingzhi tea, ginseng tea, red lingzhi mushroom, dried red salvia miltiorrhiza, etc.

Promote the development of medicinal plants

Resolution No. 09 has contributed to awakening the potential for medicinal plant development in some localities in the province, creating motivation for localities, people and businesses to participate in the conservation and development of medicinal plant production in a sustainable direction.

The area of medicinal plants is increasing on agricultural land, gradually forming concentrated medicinal plant growing areas in districts: Kbang, Mang Yang, Chu Se, Chu Puh, An Khe town... At the same time, it has attracted many enterprises inside and outside the province to invest in building factories processing medicinal products.

Mr. Truong Thanh Ha - Acting Head of the Provincial Forestry and Forest Protection Department - said: The potential for developing medicinal plants in the province has developed steadily, and people have become aware of preserving and developing medicinal plants in economic development.

However, there are still certain difficulties such as localities have not investigated, compiled statistics, organized conservation and sustainable exploitation of natural medicinal herbs; development is not commensurate with available potential, is still spontaneous, and planting and processing areas are limited.

In addition, growers have not paid attention to soil and growing techniques to preserve precious medicinal herbs. Some localities process medicinal herbs using traditional methods of drying or baking... instead of producing according to standard, high-tech processes.

dry-flowers-ready-for-export-by-far-away-people-blu.jpg

Dried Sophora japonica flowers ready for sale by people in Ia Blu commune, Chu Puh district. Photo: ND

According to the acting Head of the Provincial Forestry and Forest Protection Department, the Government recently held a meeting to give opinions on the draft Decree amending Decree No. 156/2018/ND-CP of the Government detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Forestry Law, adding details on the cultivation, development and harvesting of medicinal plants in the forest.

The amendment to the Decree aims to support the development of production according to the value chain and areas for growing precious medicinal herbs; in which, it requires the addition of policies to encourage and support organizations and individuals growing medicinal herbs, expanding medicinal herb growing areas in special-use forests, protective forests, national parks and nature reserves, etc. This is a new breakthrough for medicinal herbs in the province to develop strongly in the coming years.

“In the coming time, the Department will closely coordinate with localities and related units to complete statistics, sustainably exploit natural medicinal areas, form production linkage facilities associated with medicinal plant processing; focus on stable development of medicinal plants. At the same time, organize a review and build concentrated specialized production areas for each type of medicinal plant suitable for each type…”- Mr. Truong Thanh Ha emphasized.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/danh-thuc-tiem-nang-phat-trien-cay-duoc-lieu-post324007.html