Medicinal plants still face difficulties in finding markets.

People in Chung Chải commune, Mường Nhé district, are taking care of the green dổi trees.

With approximately 70% of its natural land area being agricultural and forestry land, and suitable climate and soil conditions, Dien Bien province has favorable conditions for developing medicinal plants such as cardamom, star anise, Ngoc Linh ginseng, cinnamon, etc. In recent years, several districts, including Dien Bien, Tuan Giao, Muong Nha, and Nam Po, have taken advantage of these conditions to develop into medicinal plant growing areas. Besides development according to plans and regulations, the area of medicinal plants has increased significantly due to spontaneous planting by the local people.

Muong Nha is one of the districts with a large area of cardamom cultivation (over 300 hectares), and it is expected to help people alleviate poverty. However, most of the cardamom is grown spontaneously by the people, and the product is mainly sold to traders, so the selling price is subject to fluctuations. Some years the price is high, but other seasons it is very low, sometimes not even enough to cover labor costs, so many growers don't harvest at all. According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Muong Nha district, one reason is that the area of cardamom cultivation in the district is increasing while small traders and businesses are limited in purchasing and dependent on the Chinese market.

Ms. Ho Thi Kia, from Nam Po 2 village, Muong Nha commune, said: "In 2018, my family planted over 5,000 square meters of cardamom under the forest canopy. In the first few harvests, we couldn't sell enough, and the price was very high; traders came directly to our house to buy. But since the Covid-19 pandemic, China has stopped buying, and the price has dropped significantly, sometimes even to the point of having no buyers. In the 2022-2023 harvest season, the price of fresh cardamom fruit was only 14,000 VND/kg, compared to 50-60,000 VND/kg previously, so my family and many other households didn't harvest."

Ms. Ho Thi Kia, from Nam Po 2 village, Muong Nha commune, is tending to her cardamom garden.

Tuan Giao District also has a strong potential for developing medicinal plants. Currently, the total area for growing major medicinal plants in the district is nearly 498 hectares. Several households, individuals, and businesses have invested in growing Ngoc Linh ginseng, Lai Chau ginseng, and other valuable medicinal plants. However, medicinal plant products are mainly consumed in raw form through traders and small, independent purchasing points; after harvesting, they are mainly sold fresh or dried manually by the local people.

Mr. Giàng Chứ Phình, a resident of Tỏa Tình commune, said: "My family grows hawthorn trees with the hope of developing our family's economy. However, hawthorn trees face difficulties in terms of market access. In years with high prices, there's a poor harvest, while in years with a good harvest, the price drops. After harvesting, people mainly sell the fruit on the roadside, taking whatever they can get. Recently, the authorities of Tuần Giáo district and Tỏa Tình commune have encouraged people and facilitated the establishment of a cooperative to purchase hawthorn fruit after harvest and process it into various products, but it hasn't met expectations yet."

People in Toa Tinh commune, Tuan Giao district, are harvesting wild apples.

Currently, medicinal plants are grown in most districts of the province, covering an area of over 2,180 hectares; including cinnamon (1,021 hectares), cardamom (849 hectares), hawthorn (208 hectares), and amomum (95 hectares)... The scale and area of medicinal plant cultivation are not yet large; the production and number of medicinal plant species being cultivated and developed in the area do not meet the demand for medicinal plants, nor the potential and advantages of forest and forestry land. Infrastructure for medicinal plant development, such as roads, electricity supply, irrigation, seedling propagation facilities, and product collection and processing, is still limited; large-scale, concentrated medicinal plant cultivation areas have not yet been established; and investment resources are limited.

Ms. Mai Huong, Deputy Head of the Provincial Forest Protection Department, stated: "The output of the products is unstable and depends on traders who buy them to transport to lowland provinces or export to the Chinese market. Some years, traders buy a lot at high prices, and there isn't enough product to sell, but other years, the processed products have no buyers or are bought at very low prices. During the development of medicinal plants, a link has not yet been formed between businesses and people to maintain and develop the planted area of medicinal plants; businesses are not yet bold enough to invest in processing because the production of medicinal plants is not large enough and unstable. Currently, there are 5 small-scale facilities in the province that purchase and process non-timber forest products (Java lemongrass, hawthorn, stemona, seven-leaf one-flower, Stephania tetrandra, etc.)."

The people of Tủa Chùa town, Tủa Chùa district, are developing a model for cultivating the medicinal plant Solanum torvum.

Dien Bien province has developed a plan for the development of valuable medicinal plant cultivation areas in the province for the period 2022-2025, with a vision to 2030. Accordingly, the plan aims to develop a medicinal plant cultivation area of approximately 4,000 hectares. The goal is to preserve and promote the value of medicinal plants, gradually transforming the crop structure and providing stable income for local people through agricultural production.

The province has identified solutions for the output of medicinal plants as inviting and attracting businesses to invest in medicinal plant production to promote the commercialization of medicinal plants; encouraging production linkages between businesses and people through cooperatives; attracting investment in product processing, especially deep processing, thereby contributing to the consumption of products for people and increasing product prices. In addition, it directs localities to strictly manage and control the spontaneous planting of medicinal plants by people without following plans and regulations, which leads to risks and difficulties in product output.

Leaders of Tuan Giao district inspect the Ngoc Linh ginseng cultivation model in the district.

Furthermore, the development of medicinal plants must be carefully planned and should not be carried out indiscriminately. It must be tailored to the characteristics, potential, and advantages of each locality, ensuring a competitive edge in production and consumption, avoiding uncontrolled expansion and price drops during bumper harvests. Effective trade promotion and product advertising are crucial to expanding markets. Developing and improving medicinal plant products in conjunction with the OCOP (One Commune One Product) program is also essential; linking medicinal plants with ecotourism and community tourism will attract businesses to invest.

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