A nursery at the Ngọc Linh Kon Tum Ginseng Joint Stock Company in Kon Tum Province. – VNA/VNS Cao Nguyên

KON TUM – Kon Tum Province is expanding Ngọc Linh ginseng cultivation and improving its value to improve farmers' incomes.

The Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) locality aims to plant an additional 1,578ha of the plant this year, bringing the total area to 4,500ha.

Of the 1,578ha, 60ha will be planted by farmers in Đăk Glei and Tu Mơ Rông districts and the rest by companies such as Ngọc Linh Kon Tum Ginseng Joint Stock Company, Vingin Joint Stock Company, Sâm Ngọc Linh Tu Mơ Rông Kon Tum Joint Stock Company, and Đăk Tô Forestry Single Member Limited Company.

They plan to grow over 15.2 million Ngọc Linh ginseng seedlings this year, ensuring they meet the planting target set by local authorities.

To achieve its plans, the province has adopted several measures like urging enterprises to speed up planting and facilitate leasing of forest lands for growing medicinal herbs.

Kon Tum is Việt Nam’s largest Ngọc Linh ginseng-growing locality, with most of the cultivation taking place in Tu Mơ Rông District.

Over the years both the district and the province have made significant efforts to transform the plant, dubbed a national treasure, into a key economic asset.

The cultivation of Ngọc Linh ginseng not only generates economic benefits but also contributes to the conservation and expansion of natural forests.

In Kon Tum, the plant is grown beneath trees in special-use, protective and production forests, according to its Department of Agriculture and Environment.

Discovered in 1973, Ngọc Linh ginseng has been cultivated on thousands of hectares in the Ngọc Linh mountain range in Quảng Nam and Kon Tum provinces.

Once a secret remedy used by the Xê Đăng ethnic group, it has now become a key economic crop, helping ethnic communities improve their livelihoods.

This rare medicinal plant thrives at an altitude of 1,500m in primary forests with 70-90 per cent canopy coverage, average temperatures of 14-18 degrees Celsius and humidity levels of 85-90 per cent.

Võ Trung Mạnh, chairman of the Tu Mơ Rông People's Committee, said the district has 2,800ha under the plant.

"Over the past five years this valuable crop has helped around 2,000 ethnic minority households escape poverty and enabled hundreds of families to achieve prosperity."

Many Xê Đăng ethnic households in Tu Mơ Rông have obtained loans to help cultivate the plant, and currently grow more than 84ha of it, with some even becoming millionaires as a result.

The district has prioritised Ngọc Linh ginseng as a key crop for poverty alleviation and economic development.

It has leveraged various funding sources to reforest barren hills in buffer zones for ginseng cultivation. Hundreds of hectares of buffer zone forests have been established, helping maintain the cool climate essential for growing ginseng.

A Ngôm of Đăk Dơn village in Măng Ri Commune is growing 1,000 Ngọc Linh ginseng plants, which are thriving.

The farm, his family’s most valuable asset, has helped them escape poverty.

He hopes that as the farm expands, they will achieve greater prosperity and be able to afford a car.

The district has also introduced ginseng garden tourism services, allowing farmers to sell their ginseng at higher prices while enabling visitors to witness the plant’s natural habitat and buy genuine products.

A Xây, a ginseng farmer in Tê Xăng Commune, said many tourists from Hà Nội, HCM City, Bình Dương Province, and elsewhere visit local farms.

"Tourists can personally select and buy high-quality Ngọc Linh ginseng at reasonable prices. Their visits provide local farmers with additional incomes."

The pristine forest along the Ngọc Linh Mountain range has attracted thousands of visitors in recent years, drawn by its fresh, cool air and ancient trees.

Its ginseng has been developed into various products catering to different consumer groups.

Once a luxury reserved for the wealthy, it is now available in more affordable forms such as energy drinks and tea. Premium products made from it include honey, bird's nest drink, extract, and liquor.

In June 2016 the province’s Ngọc Linh ginseng root was granted a geographical indication certificate by the National Office of Intellectual Property.

To protect the brand name, the province has called for relevant agencies to strengthen the management of ginseng varieties.

The genetic identification of ginseng seedlings is reinforced to control the number of seeds harvested annually.

Nguyễn Văn Nam, head of the local Forest Protection Sub-department, said the province has prioritised the focused development of medicinal plants, with Ngọc Linh ginseng as the key one.

"Our goal is to establish Kon Tum as a national medicinal hub and a major pharmaceutical production centre by 2025, with 4,500ha of Ngọc Linh ginseng and 10,000ha of other medicinal plants." – VNS

A ginseng root brought to the Ngọc Linh Ginseng Competition in Kon Tum Province’s Tu Mơ Rông District in 2023. The competition was organised for the first time by the district People's Committee to promote the precious ginseng and enhance its value. – VNA/VNS Photo Khoa Chương