Get rich on Ngoc Linh peak

Discovered in 1973 with the original name K5 ginseng, up to now, after more than 50 years, Ngoc Linh ginseng has grown on thousands of hectares on the Ngoc Linh mountain range in the two provinces of Quang Nam and Kon Tum. Through many ups and downs, Ngoc Linh ginseng, from a "hidden medicinal plant" of the Xe Dang people, has now grown to become the main source of wealth for ethnic minorities, helping to change the lives of the people here significantly.

People participate in growing Ngoc Linh ginseng on Ngoc Linh mountain range.

From being a poor district in category 30A that had to receive subsidies, people in Nam Tra My district, Quang Nam province and Tu Mo Rong district, Kon Tum province have escaped poverty and become rich.

Improving economic life from Ngoc Linh ginseng

For nearly ten years, Mr. Ho Van Boi and his wife, in village 3, Tra Linh commune, Nam Tra My district (Quang Nam) have always been diligently taking care of their family's precious Ngoc Linh ginseng roots. From about a few dozen ginseng seedlings obtained through exchange of labor, the couple has persistently taken care of them, borrowed money to buy more seeds and seedlings to grow. Up to now, the couple's ginseng garden has nearly 2,000 roots, thanks to which they have escaped poverty and realized their dream of getting rich. Mr. Ho Van Boi shared that thanks to Ngoc Linh ginseng's high economic value, his family has escaped poverty and their life has gradually stabilized.

Since being attached to Ngoc Linh ginseng, the life of the Xe Dang people in Ngoc Linh mountain has gradually improved, many models of helping each other escape poverty have spread strongly such as: Party members help each other grow ginseng to escape poverty; ginseng growing cooperatives; young people get rich together from Ngoc Linh ginseng... have gradually changed traditional farming and production habits. Particularly in Tra Linh commune, Nam Tra My district, the number of poor households has decreased significantly over the years, from 229 households in 2021 to only 88 households now.

People participate in growing Ngoc Linh ginseng on Ngoc Linh mountain range.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Tra My district Tran Duy Dung shared that Ngoc Linh ginseng is a precious type of ginseng, which only grows well at an altitude of 1,500 m or higher on Ngoc Linh mountain, growing under the forest canopy, so ginseng growers must be assigned to protect the primeval forest area to grow ginseng. This not only contributes to protecting forest resources but also helps people develop the economy from the forest. "Growing ginseng to get rich is no longer a strange thing in the highlands of Nam Tra My. There are families growing Ngoc Linh ginseng earning hundreds of billions of dong," Mr. Tran Duy Dung emphasized.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Tu Mo Rong District ( Kon Tum ) Nguyen Trung Manh said that the district has directed the communes to gradually build legal records of the growing area; in which it is determined that each household and each enterprise must have records of Ngoc Linh ginseng. "People must be the real owners of the associated forest, calling on enterprises to support and lead the development and expansion of Ngoc Linh ginseng growing areas and make Ngoc Linh ginseng a livelihood, aiming to get rich and escape poverty sustainably", comrade Nguyen Trung Manh shared.

It is worth noting that Tu Mo Rong and Nam Tra My are the most disadvantaged districts in Kon Tum and Quang Nam provinces, where 95% of the population is ethnic minorities. Obviously, the correct orientation of the Government, Kon Tum and Quang Nam provinces on the connection between people and businesses in conserving and growing Ngoc Linh ginseng under the forest canopy has created a very valuable solution, helping people get rich on the mountains, while still preserving the forest. In particular, people are allowed to trade products through the market held at the beginning of each month. Ngoc Linh ginseng and other medicinal herbs are put on the e-commerce trading floor to both expand the market and make it easier for consumers to access.

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Nam province Ho Quang Buu said that currently, Quang Nam province and Nam Tra My district have created a commercial ecosystem in the mountains such as ginseng markets and ginseng festivals to help people have a commercial ecosystem and trade. However, the large profits from Ngoc Linh ginseng and ineffective management have given rise to many problems such as ginseng theft, ginseng mixing, and counterfeiting of Ngoc Linh ginseng... affecting the legitimate rights of ginseng growers, ginseng buyers, traders, and businesses investing in ginseng cultivation. More worryingly, the reputation and brand of Ngoc Linh ginseng in the domestic and international markets have somewhat declined.

Promote the development of growing areas

People participate in growing Ngoc Linh ginseng on Ngoc Linh mountain range.

In September 2015, the Government approved the national project on Ngoc Linh ginseng development until 2030 with the goal of expanding the ginseng growing area to seven communes of Nam Tra My district, with a total area of ​​30,000 hectares and an investment of more than VND 9,000 billion. On June 18, 2016, Ngoc Linh ginseng was granted a Geographical Indication Registration Certificate No. 00049 by the National Office of Intellectual Property under Decision No. 3235/QD-SHTT. According to this decision, ginseng products bearing geographical indications are located on Ngoc Linh mountain in the geographical area of ​​Mang Ri commune, Ngoc Lay commune of Tu Mo Rong district, Kon Tum province and Tra Linh commune of Nam Tra My district, Quang Nam province. Then, on June 1, 2023, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 611/QD-TTg approving the Vietnam Ginseng Development Program to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

In recent years, with the development orientation of the province, people in Kon Tum have planted thousands of hectares of Ngoc Linh ginseng, making Kon Tum province's Ngoc Linh ginseng area the largest in the country with more than 1,800 hectares. Each year, Kon Tum is able to supply more than one million seedlings to the people. Tu Mo Rong is the locality with the largest Ngoc Linh ginseng growing area in Kon Tum province with about 1,700 hectares, of which people alone plant 100 hectares with about 600 households participating.

Head of Kon Tum Provincial Forest Protection Department Nguyen Van Nam said that implementing the Project on investment, development and processing of medicinal herbs until 2025 and orientation to 2030, the people and political system of Kon Tum province determined to focus on developing medicinal herbs in general, in which Ngoc Linh ginseng is the main plant. "Strive to develop the medicinal herb area of ​​Kon Tum province into a national key medicinal herb area and become a major medicinal herb production center of the country by 2025, with an area of ​​Ngoc Linh ginseng of about 4,500 hectares, other medicinal plants of about 10,000 hectares; diversify products and build the brand of Ngoc Linh Kon Tum ginseng. By 2030, develop the medicinal herb area of ​​Kon Tum province with an area of ​​about 25,000 hectares of medicinal herbs; of which, 10,000 hectares of Ngoc Linh ginseng in Tu Mo Rong and Dak Glei; 4,900 hectares of Dang Sam", Mr. Nam informed.

A corner of the center of Nam Tra My mountainous district (Quang Nam) seen from above.

In Quang Nam province, since 2017, when Ngoc Linh ginseng was identified by the Government as a national product, the province has encouraged and supported varieties for ginseng growers. Up to now, the planned area for conservation and development of Ngoc Linh ginseng has been determined to be more than 15,000 hectares (of which from an altitude of 2,000 m and above, more than 2,200 hectares, at an altitude of 1,200-2,000 m, more than 13,300 hectares), mainly concentrated in Nam Tra My district. In addition, Quang Nam is also researching the transplanting of Ngoc Linh ginseng in a number of other localities with similar conditions to expand and develop ginseng growing areas.

According to the Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Tra My district, the whole district currently has about 2,000 households participating in growing medicinal plants of all kinds, on average planting 60-70 hectares each year. For Ngoc Linh ginseng, the district focuses on developing in seven communes in the planning area. In 2014, the number of households growing ginseng was only about 110 households, with 65 hectares of ginseng. Up to now, more than 1,500 households and more than 1,650 hectares have been registered by people to grow Ngoc Linh ginseng. Thanks to the mechanism and policies to support and encourage enterprises to invest in the agricultural sector, up to now, 18 enterprises have registered to grow ginseng and medicinal plants under the forest canopy, with a registered area of ​​more than 340 hectares.

Aiming to soon turn Ngoc Linh ginseng into a key crop leading many other economic sectors, contributing to socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas of the province and reaching the world, on November 18, 2024, the Quang Nam Provincial Party Committee issued a Resolution on strengthening the management, conservation and development of Ngoc Linh ginseng in the province until 2030, with a vision to 2035. Specifically, by 2030, developing the production and supply area of ​​Ngoc Linh ginseng in Nam Tra My district and other transplanted areas in the province with a total area of ​​8,400 hectares to provide raw materials for the Medicinal Materials Industry Center and serve processing and consumption inside and outside the province. Each year, about 300-350 hectares are exploited, with a total output of about 100 tons of ginseng roots 5 years old or older, while at the same time building original conservation areas and gardens to collect Ngoc Linh ginseng genetic resources in these typical ecological regions. In the coming time, businesses will promote cooperation with domestic and foreign scientists to process Ngoc Linh ginseng according to the value chain.

Article and photos: LE ANH QUAN

Source: https://nhandan.vn/lam-giau-tren-dinh-ngoc-linh-post849313.html