Mountainous female entrepreneur develops indigenous medicinal herbs

The national target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021 - 2025 has clearly set out the requirements for developing medicinal plants associated with building concentrated raw material areas, organizing production, consumption, processing, science and technology, credit, and market linkages in a chain, both preserving valuable genetic resources and sustainably eliminating poverty. In accordance with this content, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (merged from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) have built many foundations and policies to encourage the development of indigenous medicinal plants.

Accompanying the Ministries and branches, the Women's Union at all levels also integrates many activities to support members and women in starting businesses and developing production and business activities from indigenous medicinal herbs. The focus is on building brands, standardizing products, participating deeply in the global value chain, and developing cooperatives as a bridge between people and businesses.

With such companionship and support, from the misty mountain slopes, from the village markets, many medicinal products of members and women have found stable domestic markets, becoming products that bring new economic benefits, contributing to the socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

The Pioneer's Story

In Lang Son province, Tay ethnic businesswoman Vi Thi Lua (Director of Lua Vi Agricultural Products Processing Cooperative) is a shining example for women who are nurturing the idea of starting a business from local products.

Sharing about the journey, Ms. Lua said that since the end of 2019, she has started purchasing some local medicinal herbs such as turmeric, ginseng, pumpkin... to process into drinks and foods. To have a source of raw materials for processing, the facility has purchased agricultural products from people in the commune and other communes in the province.

According to Ms. Lua's calculations, after processing into finished products, the value of medicinal products can increase from 7 to 8 times. In particular, determining product quality as a sustainable and long-term direction, Ms. Vi Thi Lua always focuses on the production process. The products are fully labeled, packaged and stamped with traceability, transparent information about the care and production process.

Businesswoman Vi Thi Lua uses local medicinal herbs to produce healthy beverage products

By mid-2020, Ms. Lua started processing fish mint tea, with familiar ingredients of the Vietnamese countryside but competitive with similar products from Japan. Lua Vi fish mint tea is the first fish mint tea bag brand in Vietnam, with the main ingredient being mountain fish mint grown in terraced fields of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups in Lang Son province.

Ms. Vi Thi Lua introduced: To preserve the medicinal properties as well as the flavor of the product, she used freeze-drying technology combined with low-temperature steam drying according to her own techniques and processes, combined with stevia, pandan leaves and some mountain herbs to create a fragrant tea aroma, a bright yellow tea color, beautiful transparency, and a unique tea flavor that is difficult to confuse with fish mint tea on the market. Currently, Ms. Vi Thi Lua has also developed many product lines from local medicinal herbs such as black tea with male papaya, wild guava tea, perilla tea, ca gai leo tea - an xoa...

The cooperative is always transparent about information about care and production processes.

Along with traditional sales methods, she has expanded her online business on social networking sites and e-commerce platforms through modern technology applications, putting products on e-commerce platforms, participating in trade fairs and exhibitions, and signing contracts with spas nationwide.

Ms. Lua also implements promotional strategies, builds a good brand image to meet the needs and problems of customers. In particular, the interests of customers are always put first through maintaining product quality. Thanks to that, the consumption volume of the Cooperative is stable. At the same time, Ms. Lua also creates jobs for local workers and creates connections, consumes agricultural products with dozens of households inside and outside the commune, helping people feel secure in production.

Products are available in major distribution channels

Implementing activities to support women members in ethnic minority and mountainous areas to start businesses, develop production and business, and find outlets for products. Through many specific and practical actions, women's associations at all levels have promoted their role as a bridge, encouraging and motivating to arouse the proactive and creative spirit of members in production and labor, thereby helping many women escape poverty, become typical examples in economic development and actively participate in social security work in the locality.

Lang Son Provincial Women's Union accompanies women in ethnic minority and mountainous areas to introduce and promote products

From 2017 to present, Lang Son Provincial Women's Union at all levels has organized many propaganda activities, training, seminars... At the same time, accompanying women in supporting the development and completion of startup ideas, guiding business skills, building brands, supporting capital, finding product outlets... Thereby, more than 1,400 women members have started businesses and startups, creating a combined strength, helping members and women promote their potential and strengths, contributing to the socio-economic development of the locality.

Ethnic minority and mountainous women enhance the flavor of the mountains and forests through each product

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/nu-doanh-nhan-mien-mien-nui-phat-trien-duoc-lieu-ban-dia-20250811163318724.htm