The Whole Village Grows the “National Treasure”
Ngoc Linh ginseng is a rare and precious type of ginseng. In Vietnam, this type of plant is only found on the top of Ngoc Linh Mountain, located in Quang Nam and Kon Tum provinces. Among them, Kon Tum is the locality that will develop Vietnamese ginseng until 2030 and is projected to have potential and strengths in suitable natural conditions for growing and developing Vietnamese ginseng until 2045.
In Kon Tum, Ngoc Linh ginseng is mainly grown in Tu Mo Rong district and Dak Glei district. In Tu Mo Rong district alone, there are currently more than 2,384 hectares of Ngoc Linh ginseng developed, of which the Ngoc Linh ginseng area in enterprises is 2,316.79 hectares and in households is 67.17 hectares.
Tu Mo Rong is a mountainous and highland district, located in the north of Kon Tum province. According to information on the website of Tu Mo Rong commune – Tu Mo Rong district, the natural area of the district is about 5,638.82 hectares, of which agricultural land accounts for 5,301.06 hectares, non-agricultural land accounts for 98.32 hectares, and unused land accounts for 238.94 hectares.
Tu Mo Rong district has 11 administrative units at the commune level, including 11 communes: Dak Ha (district headquarters), Dak Na, Dak Ro Ong, Dak Sao, Dak To Kan, Mang Ry, Ngoc Lay, Ngoc Yeu, Te Xang, Tu Mo Rong, and Van Xuoi.
The Ngoc Linh ginseng area of the people in the district is concentrated in the forests of Mang Ri, Te Xang, Ngoc Lay, Dak Na… In Tu Mo Rong district, there is a village where 100% of the people cultivate this “national treasure”. It is the Xo Dang people in Loc Bong village, Ngoc Lay commune. Loc Bong village is about 6.5km away from the center of Ngoc Lay commune. This is an area located at the foot of Ngoc Linh Mountain, with favorable conditions for developing Ngoc Linh ginseng.
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According to information from Bao Kon Tum, Mr. Nguyen Anh Vu – Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ngoc Lay commune said that the people of Loc Bong village cultivate about 8 hectares of Ngoc Linh ginseng (equivalent to about 80,000 trees), accounting for over 60% of the Ngoc Linh ginseng area grown by households in the commune. Every family in the 82 households in Loc Bong village cultivates ginseng; among them, the families that grow the least have dozens of trees, while the families that grow the most can have thousands of trees.
Ngoc Linh ginseng is grown under the forest canopy, where the altitude is above 1,500m compared to sea level. Ngoc Linh ginseng is completely grown in natural environments, without using plant protection drugs or fertilizers during its growth; and to achieve the maximum nutritional content, it takes about 8 to 10 years before harvesting.
Growing Ngoc Linh Ginseng, people have money for education and build decent houses
Ngoc Linh ginseng is a high-value economic plant. The families in Loc Bong village have stable income and improved material life thanks to growing Ngoc Linh ginseng.
Mr. A Ghoi (45 years old) said that besides growing ginseng, his family also conducts seedling propagation and expands the area. Up to now, his family has developed nearly 4,000 Ngoc Linh ginseng plants. “From selling ginseng tubers and ginseng seeds, we earn about 300 million VND per year. That income has helped our family build decent houses and support our children’s education”, he shared in Bao Kon Tum newspaper.
Mr. A Tai’s family is also earning up to 250 million VND from Ngoc Linh ginseng. Currently, Mr. A Tai has up to 1,000 Ngoc Linh ginseng plants, many of which are over 10 years old.
Mr. A Hon introduces Ngoc Linh ginseng. Photo: PN
Mr. A Hon shared that when he had the idea of selling 2kg of Ngoc Linh ginseng to build a new house, someone came to buy it for 500 million VND, and even instructed that whenever there is a demand for buying Ngoc Linh ginseng in the village, he is ready to provide information.
Thanks to growing this “national treasure” plant, all houses in Loc Bong village are no longer temporary, they are all solid and stable. According to statistics, the average per capita income of Loc Bong village is currently 32 million VND/year. Many households have become well-off with an average annual income of 200 – 300 million VND.
Tu Mo Rong district is the capital of Ngoc Linh ginseng. Ginseng is a moisture-loving plant that requires humidity to grow but is intolerant of waterlogging. The dry season in the Central Highlands falls from November to April. During this time, there is no rain, so the land becomes dry, and the crops lack water.
To ensure the humidity for ginseng plants to develop, people growing Ngoc Linh ginseng have to water them 1 – 2 times per week to create the right humidity and help the plants grow and develop.
One principle that is always applied when combating drought for ginseng plants is that before watering, people will carefully check the moisture content of the soil. When watering, it is necessary to water lightly, spray mist to avoid breaking the stems and uprooting the ginseng plants.
