Farmers grow Ngọc Linh ginseng at a farm on the canopy of a forest in Quảng Nam Province. — VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Lê Thành Long has signed a decision approving a project for the development and establishment of a medicinal herb industry hub in Quảng Nam Province, with Ngọc Linh ginseng as the key crop.

The project's objective is to comprehensively develop medicinal herb cultivation areas, as well as processing, production, business operations and scientific research systems.

This initiative aims to gradually position Quảng Nam as the country's leading centre for the medicinal herb industry.

It also seeks to maximise the potential of Ngọc Linh ginseng and other medicinal herbs with strengths in the province. The ultimate goal is to elevate Việt Nam’s medicinal herb industry into a high-value commodity sector.

The project will sustain and expand suitable cultivation areas from 2025 to 2035, prioritising Ngọc Linh ginseng and other medicinal herbs with economic advantages and well-suited local ecological conditions.

It also plans to establish and develop a supply chain linking seed production, cultivation, processing, manufacturing and distribution, following the Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) standards set by the World Health Organization.

By 2030, the project targets the completion of land-use planning and related zoning regulations, the identification of industrial sites and the gradual investment in infrastructure for the medicinal herb industry hub.

The initial focus will be on the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone in Quảng Nam.

During the 2036-2045 period, the project will finalise a modern and integrated infrastructure system that meets the requirements of the medicinal herb industry.

It will also diversify medicinal herb products and derivatives to cater to domestic demand while integrating into the global medicinal herb value chain, with many high-value exports. — VNS