The person who brought Phuoc Son medicinal herbs into OCOP

Ms. Nga puts her heart into each product from Phuoc Son medicinal herbs. Photo: THUY HIEN

Passionate about local herbs

Stepping into Kien Nga Agricultural and Medicinal Products Production Cooperative (Kien Nga Cooperative), the scent of forest, mountain leaves, and natural herbs wafts out. Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga is checking each stage of production to ensure that her medicinal products reach customers in the most perfect condition.

Medicinal herbs are processed with strict procedures, ensuring hygiene and safety. Photo: THUY HIEN

Having a bachelor's degree in education, after graduating, Ms. Nga "fell in love" with trading medicinal herbs from the Phuoc Son mountain region... and then pursued a career in traditional medicine. At the same time, she learned traditional medicine recipes from her father-in-law, a famous doctor in the highlands. Ms. Nga understood the characteristics and uses of medicinal herbs and became more passionate about processing and producing pharmaceuticals.

Referring to this mountainous medicinal herb, Ms. Nga proudly shared: “Phuoc Son is a medicinal herb capital of Quang Nam. With favorable soil and climate conditions, medicinal herbs here have very high medicinal properties. The abundant source of medicinal herbs is being used wastefully, local people provide raw products to traders at very cheap prices. With such high value, it should have a correspondingly high price.”

Kien Nga Cooperative produces pharmaceutical products mainly from Phuoc Son herbs. Photo: THUY HIEN

So she started producing pharmaceutical products from ginseng, cau ginseng, Ngoc Linh ginseng, wild honey, brown rice, hawthorn, and Chinese clematis flowers... Strictly following each production stage, the products of the cooperative always optimize the uses of each medicinal herb. With the motto of building an "octopus model", up to now, the products of Kien Nga Cooperative have been present throughout the country from Quang Nam, Da Nang City to Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria - Vung Tau...

[VIDEO] - Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga shares about OCOP products:

Trade promotion of 3 OCOP products

Although the brand has a foothold in the market, Kien Nga Cooperative's customer base is mainly regular customers and businesses. Ms. Nga wants to find opportunities to supply and develop sustainable products and be more meticulous in each stage of production and product packaging... In 2023, she is determined to bring her 2 products into OCOP.

Honey-soaked ginseng has achieved 3-star OCOP standard in 2023. Photo: THUY HIEN

“Sam vine cereal and ginseng soaked in honey are both products that focus on health recovery, are vegan, and provide nutrients for the body. Especially Phuoc Loc ginseng and wild honey are medicinal herbs with very high medicinal properties,” said Ms. Nga.

Ms. Nga also said that the number of customers of the cooperative has increased significantly, the target customers of the products have been expanded to include long-term customers and potential customers such as state agencies, delegates of provinces and cities... After the success of these two products, in 2024, Ms. Nga continued to bring Ngoc Linh Tam Tea into OCOP.

Ginseng cereal includes all-natural herbs such as ginseng, brown rice, lotus seeds, sticky corn, beans, seeds... Photo: THUY HIEN

“

Ginseng cereal with price of 200,000 VND/box/500g, in 2024 sold more than 20,000 boxes. Ginseng soaked in honey with price of 300,000 VND/box/310g, in 2024 sold more than 70,000 boxes. Ngoc Linh Tam tea sold more than 100,000 boxes in 2024 sold at price of 100,000 VND/box/250g. All 3 OCOP products are good for health, benign, have no side effects and are suitable for all ages including children and pregnant women".

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga - Director of Kien Nga Cooperative

Ms. Nga said that although she encountered many difficulties in the journey to bring products into OCOP due to mountainous terrain, inconvenient roads, and complicated documents, the cooperative received 50% support from the government for machinery investment. And when people trusted and used OCOP products of Phuoc Hiep commune, Ms. Nga confidently carried out the initial goal of economic development associated with community development.

Ngoc Linh Tam Tea helps users detoxify, cool down, reduce blood fat, beautify the body, beautify the skin, balance blood sugar... so it is popular in the market. Photo: THUY HIEN

Ms. Hoang Thi Thanh Van - President of the Women's Union of Phuoc Hiep commune shared: "Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga is the first successful entrepreneur in Phuoc Hiep commune. Ms. Nga's cooperative has promoted the potential and strengths of local medicinal herbs. Based on OCOP products from Phuoc Son herbal sources, she has purchased raw materials for local people and solved the employment problem for nearly 30 workers in Phuoc Son. In addition, Kien Nga Cooperative also regularly participates in volunteer activities such as supporting house construction, providing school supplies for students, helping with livelihoods and necessities for disadvantaged people in the locality."

Kien Nga Cooperative is supporting Phuoc Son people to change their crop structure from acacia to medicinal herbs, building a linked raw material area to supply and produce the cooperative's pharmaceutical products. Photo: THUY HIEN

“In about 2 years, we are confident that we will have enough standards for HACCP facilities, organic raw material areas, machinery that meets one-way closed production standards... so that Kien Nga Cooperative's products will not only stop at 3-star OCOP standards but also be upgraded to 4-star and 5-star standards" - Ms. Nga hopes.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/nguoi-mang-duoc-lieu-phuoc-son-vao-ocop-3152378.html