Ngoc Linh Ginseng Competition

The judging panel selected the ginseng plants that advanced to the final round.

On the morning of August 1st, the People's Committee of Nam Tra My mountainous district ( Quang Nam province) held the opening ceremony of the 6th Ngoc Linh Ginseng Competition in 2024. The competition is part of the 6th Ngoc Linh Ginseng Festival in 2024. The competition aims to create opportunities for exchange and learning of techniques for planting, caring for, and protecting Ngoc Linh ginseng among ginseng growers and households in Nam Tra My district. It also aims to promote the image of Ngoc Linh ginseng from Nam Tra My district domestically and internationally, affirming Nam Tra My as the Ngoc Linh ginseng capital of the country.

Nam Tra My district is blessed by nature with one of the world's best ginseng varieties – Ngoc Linh ginseng. This rare and valuable medicinal plant has helped the local people escape poverty and become wealthy in recent years.

Currently, Ngoc Linh ginseng has been recognized by the Government as a national product: Vietnamese ginseng. To develop this precious medicinal plant, the movement to conserve and develop Ngoc Linh ginseng in Nam Tra My district has been very strong; from being confined to only 3 communes (Tra Nam, Tra Linh, and Tra Cang), it has now expanded to 4 more communes (Tra Don, Tra Tap, Tra Don, and Tra Leng). According to statistics, to date, over 350 ginseng cultivation sites have been established in Nam Tra My district, involving more than 4,500 households and over 5,000 hectares of Ngoc Linh ginseng cultivation, with further expansion planned.

According to Mr. Tran Van Man, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Tra My district, the Government recently approved the Program for the Development of Vietnamese Ginseng until 2030 and with a vision to 2045. This is an opportunity to increase the proportion of the local economy's value from the development of Ngoc Linh ginseng and reach the global market.

Immediately after the Government approved the Program for the Development of Vietnamese Ginseng until 2030 and with a vision to 2045, the People's Committee of Quang Nam province approved the plan for the conservation and development of Ngoc Linh ginseng in 7 out of 10 communes of Nam Tra My district, with a total area of ​​over 15,000 hectares; at the same time, it issued policies and mechanisms to encourage the conservation and development of Ngoc Linh ginseng and assigned the People's Committee of Nam Tra My district to designate August 1st each year as Ngoc Linh Ginseng Festival Day and organize related activities to promote and introduce this precious medicinal plant.

The judging panel selected the ginseng plants that advanced to the final round. Beautiful Ngoc Linh ginseng plants, grown from clearly traceable sources, with balanced shapes, leaves, branches, flowers, and roots, were the criteria for evaluation to find the winning plants.

As part of the main activities of the 6th Ngoc Linh Ginseng Festival – 2024, Nam Tra My district organized a Ngoc Linh Ginseng Competition to create opportunities for meeting, exchanging experiences, and learning about the techniques of planting, caring for, and protecting Ngoc Linh ginseng among ginseng growers in Nam Tra My district. At the same time, it aimed to promote the image of Ngoc Linh ginseng from Nam Tra My district domestically and internationally, affirming that Nam Tra My is the Ngoc Linh Ginseng capital of the nation.

At the competition, nearly 100 contestants, including businesses, organizations, and individuals growing Ngoc Linh ginseng in Nam Tra My district, presented information about the origin, cultivation and care process, age, color, and balance of the stem, branches, leaves, flowers, and roots.

The organizing committee conducted a two-round judging process (preliminary and final) to identify the most unique Ngoc Linh ginseng plants in the following age groups: 5-7 years old, 8-10 years old, 11-15 years old, and over 15 years old. Based on this, the most beautiful, highest quality, and most well-rounded ginseng plants were selected to receive awards.

The competition organizers will select one first prize, one second prize, and one third prize for each ginseng category in different age groups. Notably, after winning prizes, the ginseng plants will be auctioned off to support the Fund for Eliminating Temporary Housing for Poor Households in Nam Tra My District, in response to a call from the Secretary of the Quang Nam Provincial Party Committee.

It is known that, immediately after the launch ceremony of the competition on July 22, 2024, by July 31, 2024, more than 100 collectives, individuals, and households had submitted over 200 Ngoc Linh ginseng plants that met the basic quality criteria for participation in the competition. Based on the 200 Ngoc Linh ginseng plants submitted, on the afternoon of July 31, 2024, the Judging Panel conducted the preliminary selection round and selected more than 50 Ngoc Linh ginseng plants that met the quality standards to advance to the final round of this competition.

Source: https://dangcongsan.vn/kinh-te/hoi-thi-sam-ngoc-linh-noi-gap-go-giao-luu-giua-nhung-nguoi-trong-sam-673914.html