Branding for Lao Cai medicinal plants

As a land with many precious medicinal plant varieties, in recent years, Lao Cai province has encouraged people to grow and expand the area of medicinal plants, and at the same time, organize joint activities between farmers, scientists and farmers enterprises, put into trial a number of models of growing and processing medicinal herbs, contributing to raising incomes for ethnic minorities.

Model of growing medicinal plants in Bac Ha district. Photo: Thanh Cuong

In order to continue promoting the development of the pharmaceutical industry to become one of the spearheads of the agricultural economy of the province, Lao Cai has been planning to develop specialized farming areas, apply high technology in production, processing, Steps to create a brand for Lao Cai herbal medicine.

Dubbed the land of medicinal plants, with many indigenous medicinal plants along with the knowledge of the medicinal profession of ethnic minorities, Sa Pa has been and is having many prospects in the development of medicinal plants materials, typically the model of growing artichokes - produced by Traphaco Sa Pa One Member Limited Liability Company in association with Sa Pa farmers. Every year, Traphaco Sa Pa signs scientific research contracts with Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam Academy of Agriculture, University of Natural Sciences (Hanoi National University), Development Cooperation Joint Stock Company developing DCA to improve products and research new products, and at the same time, invite Dutch experts to work at the company to study and change production processes... Currently, Traphaco Sa Pa has expanded the area. Planting over 100ha, controlling 35,000ha natural medicinal plants collection area according to the standards of the World Health Organization GACP - WHO.

Communes with strengths in medicinal plants and indigenous knowledge of precious remedies in Sa Pa have also boldly guided farmers to develop this model, put it into tourism services, and increase her income. ethnic minority children. For example, in Ta Phin commune, there are currently about 45ha of medicinal plants (artichoke, perilla and other medicinal plants). Every year, Ta Phin people earn 4 billion VND from growing medicinal plants. The development of medicinal plants helps Ta Phin people to increase their income. Mr. Ly Lao Lo, Chairman of Ta Phin Commune People's Committee said: "We will continue to call for affiliates to plant and consume to help people develop and expand the model of growing medicinal plants in the coming time."

Sa Pa town strives to have 400ha of medicinal plants by 2025, focusing on precious medicinal herbs such as Ngoc Linh ginseng, artichokes, gynostemma pentaphyllum, ligusticum striatum, panax pseudoginseng, angelica sinensis..., in order to exploit Maximize benefits when combining tourism with medicinal agriculture. Medicinal production areas will be concentrated in communes and wards: Ngu Chi Son, Ta Phin, Ham Rong, Sa Pa, Lien Minh, and Muong Bo. Sa Pa will also build a facility to purchase, preliminarily process, process and preserve medicinal herbs in order to improve the value of medicinal herbs; strengthening and encouraging the attraction of businesses, creating a chain of stable production and consumption of products; effectively exploit and conserve indigenous medicinal plants of economic and medicinal value.

After Sa Pa town, Bac Ha and Si Ma Cai are also considered as two promising localities in the pharmaceutical development planning of Lao Cai province. In addition to the models of planting angelica, platycodon and ligusticum striatum in Bac Ha, in the past 3 years, Si Ma Cai district has been known for panax pseudoginseng products. In 2021, Si Ma Cai district will expand the area to more than 100 hectares of medicinal plants.

Sa Pa people successfully planted Ngoc Linh ginseng. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The district is also determined to invest in preliminary processing to improve the value of medicinal plants, progress to high-tech application crops, concentrated in communes like Sin Cheng, Lung Than, Can Cau, Quan Ho Than and Nan Sin. Currently, Si Ma Cai district has over 130ha growing medicinal plants such as: angelica sinensis, panax pseudoginseng, cymbopogon winterianus, red turmeric..., with more than 200 households engaged in cultivation.

Up to this point, the people of the communes of Si Ma Cai district have been supported with over 10 billion VND for the development of medicinal herbs. Si Ma Cai district has also succeeded in processing and producing Tam That tea and has been recognized as a 3-star OCOP product at the provincial level. It is expected that from now to 2025, Si Ma Cai will focus on developing a number of strong medicinal herbs and expand the area of medicinal plants to 500ha.

To develop medicinal herbs, Lao Cai province has focused on exploiting the functions and strengths of each region and each locality and the effectiveness of the State's source consultants. In particular, the operating mechanism and policies to support people have the opportunity to change the cultivation structure (when people participate in cultivation, they will be supported with varieties, analysis, trained in cultivation techniques, care plan...). In addition, focusing on supporting people to borrow capital for production investment, the process of linking with businesses and production facilities to sell products. With many creative ways, contributing to the rapid growth of the miracle tree in the districts of Si Ma Cai, Bac Ha, Bat Xat and Sa Pa town.

Time to, Lao Cai province will continue to make efforts to find solutions to have a link between households and businesses in cooperation in production and product consumption, striving for 100% of medicinal products to be produced by the organization closed production chain from production management to processing and product consumption, gradually creating stability in the market. In addition, continue to implement policies to support the development of medicinal herbs, attract investors, businesses, and cooperatives to preliminarily process products and improve value. At the same time, develop mechanisms and policies to integrate investment capital from the State, enterprises and cooperatives in training and educating people on safe production, collection, management and processing whole.

Medicinal plants are one of the key commodity crops according to Resolution 10-NQ/TU dated August 26, 2021 of the Standing Board of Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee on the Strategy for the development of commodity agriculture to 2030, with a vision to 2050. According to the development plan, in 2022, local people in Bac Ha, Si Ma Cai, Bat Xat and Sa Pa town will expand by 98 hectares of crops. Meanwhile, by the end of 2021, the planting area in Lao Cai province will reach 3,584 hectares, mainly in a few localities: Sa Pa, Bac Ha, Si Ma Cai and Bat Xat. Some methods to support the development of essential oil extraction plants to improve value.

Source: Le Thanh Cuong/ bienphong.com.vn