"Gold" under the canopy of Kien Moc forest

Over the years, taking advantage of the potential and advantages of the hilly and forested areas, the people of Kien Moc commune have developed a model of growing medicinal plants under the forest canopy. The development of medicinal plants not only helps to increase people's income but also opens up a direction for sustainable forestry economic development, linked to forest management and protection.

Báo Lạng Sơn•02/06/2026

People in Kien Moc commune take care of cardamom plants.

Kien Moc commune has a large area of planted forest, over 25,000 hectares, mainly pine, acacia, star anise, and eucalyptus. Taking advantage of this, people in the commune have proactively introduced medicinal plants to cultivate under the forest canopy to increase the economic value of the same area of forest land.

The family of Mr. To Duc Luong, in Ban Quay village, is one of the pioneering households in developing this model in the locality. Mr. Luong shared: "My family has 70 hectares of pine and anise forest. Recognizing the economic benefits of cardamom, about 10 years ago I planted about 2 hectares of purple cardamom under the forest canopy. After about 3 years of care, the cardamom plants began to yield fruit, and the yield has gradually increased over the years. On average, my family harvests 1 ton of fruit each year, bringing in an income of 60 million VND/year."

You may also like

Lien Minh Commune launches two models for ensuring security at the grassroots level.Two new models have been implemented by Lien Minh commune to maintain security and order and strengthen the connection between the government and the people, helping to promptly identify and handle issues arising at the grassroots level.

Not only Mr. Luong's family, but many other households in Kien Moc commune are also gradually expanding the area for growing medicinal herbs under the forest canopy. Accordingly, people mainly grow purple cardamom and rehmannia glutinosa on an area of over 170 hectares, of which the area of cardamom is 162 hectares, and 110 hectares are already yielding harvests, concentrated in the villages of Ban Quay, Na Thuoc, Ban Co... Developing this model not only helps to effectively utilize land area but also contributes to moisture retention and enhances forest protection.

Mr. Ky Van Binh, Party Secretary and Head of Ban Ma village, said: The village has 20 households, and the people mainly develop forest-based economic activities, with an area of over 500 hectares of cinnamon and pine trees. In recent years, taking advantage of the area under the forest canopy and along the streams with moist soil, the people have utilized it to plant cardamom. Accordingly, 12 households in the village are planting it on an area of over 5 hectares. Thanks to the effective development of the cardamom cultivation model, many households have increased their income, averaging 20-30 million VND/year, with some households earning over 50 million VND/year.

According to information from the People's Committee of Kien Moc commune, seeing the effectiveness of developing medicinal plants under the forest canopy, from 2019 to the present, people in the commune have proactively expanded the area of medicinal plant cultivation under the forest canopy. To support the people, in recent times, the Kien Moc commune government has coordinated with relevant units to organize training courses integrating techniques for planting and caring for medicinal plants.

Mr. Hoang Van Hoi, Chairman of the People's Committee of Kien Moc commune, said: Currently, the model of growing medicinal plants under the forest canopy is bringing economic benefits to the people. Not only does it help increase income, but the model also contributes to raising people's awareness in managing, caring for, and protecting the forest. In the coming time, the People's Committee of the commune will continue to promote and encourage people to utilize the area under the forest canopy to grow medicinal plants; at the same time, guide and support people with planting and caring techniques; and connect them with product consumption to improve economic efficiency.

The cultivation of medicinal plants under the forest canopy has opened up an effective direction for the development of forestry economics in Kien Moc commune. This is not only a solution to help people increase their income but also contributes to the efficient exploitation of forest land potential, promoting green economic development associated with the protection of forest resources in the locality.