Bringing Ngoc Linh ginseng into a livelihood to reduce poverty for the Xo Dang people

SKĐS - In the mountains and forests of Quang Ngai, Ngoc Linh ginseng is not only a "national treasure" but also the key to helping the Xo Dang people change their lives. When the forest is preserved and ginseng is grown, a sustainable livelihood is gradually taking shape from the people's attachment to the forest.

Quang Ngai (formerly Kon Tum ), the northernmost province of the Central Highlands, has long been known for its harsh natural conditions but also for its great potential. This place owns the majestic Ngoc Linh mountain range, which is identified by scientists as the "kingdom" of thousands of precious medicinal herbs. Among them, Ngoc Linh ginseng is considered the "national treasure" of Vietnam, with outstanding Saponin content, and is considered by the world's scientific community as one of the best ginsengs.

However, Quang Ngai is also one of the provinces with a high rate of poor households, especially in mountainous areas such as Tu Mo Rong and Dak Glei. This is where the Xo Dang ethnic minority people mainly live, with precarious livelihoods based on slash-and-burn farming. The problem for the provincial government is how to exploit the potential of the "green gold" Ngoc Linh ginseng while still ensuring the goal of sustainable poverty reduction and protecting the ecological environment of the primary forest.

The Xo Dang people protect and develop valuable resources and bring sustainable economic opportunities to the community.

In that context, the Provincial Standing Committee issued a resolution on medicinal plant development, identifying it as a key economic sector. This strategy has a "dual goal": both developing an economic sector with high added value and being the "golden key" to poverty reduction in particularly difficult localities.

Policy leverage from the National Target Program

To realize the dual goal, the National Target Program has become the most important policy pillar. This is the practical resource, the lever to help the Xo Dang people access the precious ginseng.

Quang Ngai province has focused on effectively integrating capital from the National Target Program, specifically Sub-project 2 of Project 3 (Support for production development according to value chains). Instead of providing widespread support, the province has focused resources on households and cooperatives in the two districts of Tu Mo Rong and Dak Glei (now Dak Sao, Dak To Kan, Tu Mo Rong and Mang Ri communes) - the core area of ​​Ngoc Linh ginseng.

Specific support policies were implemented synchronously. Xo Dang households were directly supported with Ngoc Linh ginseng seedlings, along with other valuable medicinal herbs such as Dang Sam, Dang Quy, and Ngu Vi Schisandra. In addition to seeds, people were also supported with essential agricultural supplies such as biofertilizers, shade nets, and participated in specialized technical training courses on how to grow and care for ginseng under the forest canopy.

One of the biggest barriers to growing ginseng is capital and time. Ngoc Linh ginseng requires a very long growing time, at least 5-7 years to harvest, with a not small initial investment cost. This is almost unthinkable for poor households who are used to growing cassava and short-term corn. To solve this problem, the Quang Ngai Provincial Social Policy Bank has stepped in, implementing special preferential loan packages with low interest rates and long-term loan cycles, helping people feel secure in investing.

People are supported with essential agricultural supplies and participate in specialized technical training courses on how to grow and care for ginseng under the forest canopy.

Changing the mindset, changing the lives of the Xo Dang people

The greatest effect that the policy brings is not only the number of acreage or output, but the fundamental change in people's production thinking.

Previously, the livelihood of the Xo Dang people mainly relied on slash-and-burn cultivation and shifting cultivation. Forests were considered objects for short-term exploitation. However, since the National Target Program was implemented, a major change in awareness has taken place. People have been supported by the government to carry out procedures for land and forest allocation. When they plant ginseng under the forest canopy, they understand that the forest is the roof, the mandatory habitat of ginseng. If the forest is lost, ginseng will also die.

Since then, the Xo Dang people have given up the habit of destroying forests and returned to protecting forests and groundwater resources. Each ginseng plant under the forest canopy is now considered a priceless asset for the future. The community’s awareness of protecting forests and preventing forest fires has been significantly raised.

The model of medicinal plant cooperatives has also developed strongly. If in the past people grew on a small scale and spontaneously, now they have joined together to form cooperatives. Cooperatives act as the focal point for receiving technical support, organizing production according to GACP standards (Good Practices for Growing and Harvesting Medicinal Plants), and most importantly, act as the focal point for linking and signing contracts for product consumption with large enterprises.

Although there are still many challenges ahead, especially in proactively sourcing high-quality Ngoc Linh ginseng seeds and ensuring a large enough credit source for a long cycle, it can be affirmed that Quang Ngai is on the right track. The effective integration of the National Target Policy has been turning the national treasure Ngoc Linh ginseng into a sustainable livelihood, helping the Xo Dang people have a prosperous life right on their homeland, attached to the forest and getting rich from the forest.

Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/dua-sam-ngoc-linh-thanh-sinh-ke-giam-ngheo-cho-dong-bao-xo-dang-169251113220441789.htm