Ginseng from Dành Mountain takes root in Tân Thành soil.

Amidst the familiar corn, rice, and vegetable fields of Trai Giua hamlet, Tan Thanh commune, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dat's garden of Danh mountain ginseng represents a new direction in the restructuring of crop cultivation. He boldly introduced this medicinal plant for experimental cultivation, and it has initially shown positive results, opening up prospects for sustainable poverty reduction for local farmers.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dat's ginseng cultivation model, now in its second year, is developing well.

Previously, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dat's family cultivated corn and rice on their agricultural land, like many other households, but the economic efficiency was not high.

In 2022, after visiting a model of cultivating southern ginseng in Bac Giang (formerly), Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dat realized that this plant had outstanding economic value and was suitable for the ecological conditions of hilly forests. Given that southern ginseng used to be found in natural forests but was becoming increasingly scarce due to prolonged exploitation, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dat decided to purchase seedlings to try growing them in his home garden.

Initially, this choice raised concerns among many because ginseng was a new crop in the area. However, through research, learning, and systematic investment, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dat gradually built a stable model. Currently, his family's ginseng garden has about 3,000 plants, all growing uniformly.

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dat, land preparation is crucial to the plant's growth. The soil is thoroughly plowed and raised into high ridges to prevent waterlogging.

Because the ginseng plant is a climbing vine, he invested in building sturdy trellises and prioritized the use of organic fertilizers, limiting pesticides to ensure the quality of the medicinal herb. After more than a year of cultivation, the ginseng plants began to yield flowers for harvesting.

Ginseng flowers are purchased by traders at a price of about 500,000 VND/kg (dried), providing a stable source of income while waiting for the roots to be harvested, helping the family reinvest in production. The ginseng variety that Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dat brought to cultivate originates from the southern ginseng of Danh Mountain in Bac Giang (formerly).

The ginseng plant from Danh Mountain is considered to have high medicinal value, second only to Ngoc Linh ginseng.

According to scientific research, this type of ginseng contains saponins, flavonoids, amino acids, and many valuable nutrients, with saponin content comparable to Korean ginseng and second only to Ngoc Linh ginseng. The ginseng garden has been cultivated for over two years and is beginning to form small tubers.

According to calculations, it takes about 4 years for the roots of the Southern ginseng plant to be harvested commercially. The longer the plant is left to grow, the larger the roots become, and the higher the medicinal content and economic value. On average, each ginseng plant over 5 years old yields roots weighing 1.5-2 kg, with a market price of approximately 2 million VND/kg.

Besides developing his family's economy, Mr. Dat also proactively researched plant propagation using cuttings, achieving a high survival rate. Currently, each seedling is sold for about 5,000 VND, attracting many households in and outside the commune to visit, learn, and try planting them.

Commenting on the model of cultivating ginseng in the locality, Mr. Phung Van Xuyen, Vice Chairman of the Tan Thanh Commune People's Committee, said: "This is a new production direction suitable to the local soil conditions and agricultural development orientation. Recently, the Commune Farmers' Association has coordinated training and technology transfer on planting and caring for ginseng, and initial results have been promising."

With promising initial results, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dat's model of cultivating Danh Mountain ginseng is opening up a new direction in crop transformation in Tan Thanh commune. If continued support is provided in terms of technology, capital, and product outlets, Danh Mountain ginseng could become a key crop, contributing to increased income for local people and sustainable agricultural development.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202601/sam-nam-nui-danh-ben-re-tren-dattan-thanh-3d73e9e/