The person who "revived" precious medicinal plants

Despite having a stable job with a high salary in Hanoi , Mr. Pham Tien Duat unexpectedly "left the city for the countryside." After much hardship and difficulty, Mr. Duat has now made a significant contribution to the revival, preservation, and development of the golden camellia plant in the Nho Quan region.

Mr. Pham Tien Duat, who contributed to the "revival" of this precious medicinal plant.

After graduating from the University of Agriculture, Pham Tien Duat (born in 1985) worked at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development . While enjoying a stable job, Duat unexpectedly resigned to seek a new path for his future. The place he chose to start his business was a barren, rocky valley deep within the limestone mountains of Gia Lam commune, Nho Quan district.

Recalling that time, Mr. Pham Tien Duat, Deputy Director of Vu Gia Medicinal Herbs Co., Ltd., said: "It was 2016, and I and a friend from my hometown decided to choose Ninh Binh as our destination to pursue our passion for agriculture and medicinal herbs. Initially, we planted Centella asiatica with the hope of turning this place into a large-scale model farm. But when Centella asiatica was widely grown in many places, the price was no longer high, so we had to explore new directions."

By chance, Duat and his friend learned about the golden camellia, a rare plant found in Cuc Phuong National Park. After researching this plant in detail, they were even more surprised by this precious medicinal herb that nature has bestowed upon many places in Vietnam, including Ninh Binh.

"Golden flower tea is a rare plant with great medicinal value. Vietnam currently has about 50 types of golden flower tea, but according to scientific research, the golden flower tea plants distributed in the buffer zone of Cuc Phuong National Park have a high content of active ingredients. However, due to over-exploitation, the ability of this tea species to regenerate in nature is very low, and there is a risk of extinction if it is not conserved and developed," Mr. Duat said.

The man who revived precious medicinal plants. — Mr. Pham Tien Duat shared his experience in caring for camellia plants at the park.

Concerned about the imminent extinction of the golden camellia, a precious medicinal plant of Vietnam, Mr. Duat spent his days researching and, together with his colleagues, implementing a project: Building a model for the conservation and propagation of the golden camellia in Cuc Phuong National Park using cuttings. The project was a success, a result of their efforts, dedication, and aspiration to contribute to the development of their homeland.

Currently, on an area of nearly 30 hectares, Mr. Duat and his colleagues have successfully collected and propagated 35 varieties of golden camellia from provinces and cities across the country, with hundreds of thousands of trees of all sizes growing and developing well. Golden camellia from Cuc Phuong alone accounts for 60% of the garden's total number of trees. Not only has the company restored and ensured the availability of these endangered varieties, but it has also exploited and developed valuable products from the flowers and leaves of the camellia, which have high levels of active ingredients, creating stable employment for local people.

According to Mr. Duat, the plants are grown using an organic nutrient regime, without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers. After harvesting, the flowers are dried using freeze-drying technology at -50 degrees Celsius, which helps preserve their shape, structure, color, and especially the active ingredients, vitamins, and mineral ions... which help improve health and boost immunity.

Thanks to tireless efforts and a rigorous, scientific farming process, the company's cultivation area has been certified by the Ministry of Health as a Good Agricultural Practice (GACP-WHO) in accordance with the World Health Organization's recommendations. The factory has received HACCP certification from the Quacert Center. Currently, the company has 5 products that have achieved OCOP 4-star rating in Ninh Binh province, and its golden flower tea product has been recognized as a typical national product.

Ms. Pham Thi Thuy, a worker at the company in Gia Lam commune, Nho Quan district, said: "I've been here since the company was established. Besides working at the company with an income of about 5.5 million VND/month, I also take advantage of my free time to do some agricultural production at home. I find Mr. Duat to be careful, meticulous, and hardworking. In his personal life, he is very sincere, simple, humble, and caring about the lives of his employees."

Currently, the company provides stable employment for 20 local workers with an income of 5-7 million VND/person/month. In addition to successfully carrying out production and business activities, Vu Gia Medicinal Herbs Co., Ltd. and Mr. Duat personally actively contribute to the new rural development process in the locality, enthusiastically supporting and participating in humanitarian and social welfare activities in Nho Quan district and Gia Lam commune.

For his efforts and dedication, Mr. Pham Tien Duat was honored by the Ministry of Health for his contributions to the development of Vietnamese medicinal herbs. Mr. Duat is also a prime example of studying and following the ideology, ethics, and style of Ho Chi Minh.

Looking back on the journey so far, the Deputy Director of Vu Gia Medicinal Herbs Co., Ltd. shared: "My greatest happiness to date is that I have contributed to realizing the mission of preserving the golden camellia tree in Cuc Phuong National Park. The results I have achieved today are due to my continuous efforts to learn and emulate the example of President Ho Chi Minh. I learned from him many valuable virtues: simplicity, warmth, discipline, hard work, and creativity. I have lived my passion and I vow to work with full responsibility towards that passion…"

Minh Hai-Minh Duong