Rare Vietnamese ginseng successfully cultivated in Khanh Hoa

Khanh Hoa (VNA) – Ngoc Linh ginseng (Panax vietnamensis Ha et Grushv) has been successfully cultivated in Hon Ba Nature Reserve in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa as part of a pilot project conducted from 2019 to June 2022.

Under the project, more than 800 Ngoc Linh ginseng plants were seeded on a total area of about 1,000 sqm at the nature reserve. The survival rate was nearly 90%.

Average fresh roots weigh around 2.8–3.6 grams with saponin content just 1.5–2% lower than those planted in Kon Tum and Quang Nam where the species is native.

It is expected to provide an opportunity to expand Ngoc Linh Ginseng farming in Khanh Hoa and other areas with similar natural conditions, and to create jobs and improve livelihoods for local people, according to the provincial science and technology council that assessed the results of the project.

Ngoc Linh ginseng was first discovered in 1973 in a forest on Ngoc Linh mountain, located between the provinces of Kon Tum and Quang Nam, by a team of four pharmacists. They were sent by the Central Region Health Agency to search for herbal medicine.

Ngoc Linh ginseng's stems and roots contain a high rate of saponin compound, much higher than other ginseng species. The ginseng also has preeminent features that Korean and Chinese ginseng lack. These include important antibacterial, anti-depressant, anxiety-reduction and anti-oxidant properties, and can boost the effects of antibiotics and diabetes medications.

It is estimated that for an investment of about 3 billion VND (nearly 129,000 USD) to grow one hectare of ginseng, revenue after five years can reach 30 billion VND (1.27 million USD).

However, cultivating Ngoc Linh ginseng isn’t easy because the plant can only grow and produce quality ginseng in climatic and soil conditions at an altitude of 1,200-2,000m on Ngoc Linh mountain.

The plant was called a national treasure by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a Quang Nam seminar last month./.