Potential medicinal areas

According to the survey results of the functional sector, in Nghe An province, there are 35 species/groups of medicinal plants being exploited to serve market demand. Among them, there are some rare medicinal plants, such as: Puxailaileng ginseng, Seven-leaf 1-flower, Golden orchid, Smilax glabra...

With potential in species, Nghe An has formed many medicinal plant growing areas, with a total area of ​​over 1,459.29 hectares. Accordingly, species are grown on a large scale with about 410 hectares including: Passion fruit, gac fruit, turmeric, cardamom. Plants grown on a large but not concentrated area with about 620 hectares include: Cinnamon, Chinese clematis, shallots. Medicinal plants are grown sporadically on a small scale, serving local and market needs with an area of ​​about 64 hectares including: Sophora japonica, Solanum procumbens, Euryale ferox, Plantago aspera, Che Vang, Motherwort, Perilla fruticosa, Perilla fruticosa, Moneywort... Rare and valuable species are grown on a trial area of ​​about 22 hectares including: Seven-leaf ginseng, Codonopsis pilosula, Red Polygonum multiflorum, Golden orchid, Purple cardamom, Ngoc Linh ginseng, Puxailaileng ginseng, Eucommia ulmoides...

Currently, medicinal plant growing locations are divided into sub-regions (Mountainous sub-regions include Con Cuong, Tuong Duong, Ky Son, Que Phong, Quy Chau, Quy Hop, Tan Ky, Nghia Dan, growing about 25 species; Midland sub-regions include Yen Thanh, Hoang Mai, Nam Dan with about 12 species; Plain sub-regions include Quynh Luu, Nghi Loc with 11 species).

In addition, some households and members of the Oriental Medicine Association in the districts also participate in growing medicinal plants to serve the needs of on-site medical examination and treatment. For example, in Tam Hop commune (Quy Hop district), a family has grown about 300 species of medicinal plants on a total area of ​​about 5 hectares. In Yen Thanh district, members of the Oriental Medicine Association (about 130 members) also grow an average of over 20 tons of medicinal herbs each year to serve the medical needs of the people and sell to the market.

Deputy Director of Nghe An Department of Agriculture and Rural Development - Vo Thi Nhung said: In recent years, the issue of developing medicinal plants has been of interest to the Provincial People's Committee and all levels and sectors. Income from growing medicinal plants is 4-14 times higher than that of corn and 2-6 times higher than that of acacia.

However, medicinal plants require initial investment capital; the infrastructure system for medicinal plant growing areas is still lacking... Therefore, to develop medicinal plants, the most important thing is to attract businesses to organize production, purchase, consume and process products. This is the premise for the province to implement policies to attract businesses to participate in the production and processing chain associated with product consumption in the development of medicinal plants; especially effectively implementing sub-projects 2 and 3, the National Target Program on socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, phase I: From 2021-2025 (National Target Program 1719).

Developing medicinal plants into a strength

Identifying medicinal plant development as one of the important directions in production development and increasing the value of agricultural production, in recent years, Nghe An province has focused on attracting businesses to participate in production and processing to awaken the potential of medicinal plants.

Currently, in the province, there are many large projects invested in and developed in the form of joint ventures, production linkages, and product consumption, with a scale of nearly 2,000 hectares, including many rare medicinal plants. These are medicinal areas of units such as Nghe An Pharmaceutical Company, TH Group, HUDI Company, Pu Mat Medicinal Plants Company, Kim Son, Vietnam Ngoc Linh Ginseng Pharmaceutical Group... and many cooperatives and individual business households producing and trading medicinal plants. This is opening up many prospects in increasing the value of medicinal plants, creating sustainable livelihoods, stable settlement for people, especially ethnic minorities in the western districts of the province.

The work of developing medicinal herbs in association with biodiversity conservation has been deployed by the Provincial People's Committee and directed to departments, branches and district People's Committees to implement. The production, processing and cultivation of medicinal herbs have also received investment from the people and enterprises. Along with the support of scientific programs, projects have supported the development of medicinal herbs, so far many precious and valuable medicinal herbs have been tested, produced seeds, and analyzed for quality in the province.

Based on the goal of developing a green and sustainable economy, Nghe An identifies and orients the development of medicinal herbs, especially medicinal herbs under the forest canopy to exploit the potential advantages of land and forest resources, promote the multi-purpose value of forests, in accordance with the policy of the Politburo in Resolution 39-NQ/TW on "developing forestry economy, forest economy, economy under the forest canopy, medicinal herbs, high-tech agriculture associated with processing industry".

Notably, since the implementation of Sub-project 2 and Project 3 of the National Target Program 1719 on developing precious medicinal plant growing areas according to the value chain, promoting business start-ups and attracting investment in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, medicinal plants in Nghe An have been raised to a higher level.

Currently, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nghe An province has presided over and coordinated with the Department of Health, relevant departments, branches, units and localities to guide and direct the implementation of the content "Investment and support for the development of precious medicinal plant growing areas", under Sub-project 2, Project 3, National Target Program 1719.

As a district with great potential in terms of area, climate, and soil, Ky Son district has completed the draft Project Implementation Plan and is currently soliciting comments. Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung - Chairman of Ky Son District People's Committee said: The potential and strengths of medicinal plants in the district are enormous. We hope that when developing medicinal plants according to Sub-project 2, Project 3, National Target Program 1719, it will open up many job and income opportunities; contributing to improving living standards, eliminating hunger and reducing poverty for ethnic minorities.