Awakening barren hills with red turmeric

Following the narrow road into Tho Binh Commune, Thanh Hoa Province, visitors are greeted by the vibrant green of turmeric fields stretching across the hillsides. The sight comes as a pleasant surprise to many. Once known for its challenging conditions, the area has now emerged as a promising hub for medicinal herb cultivation.

The visionary behind this transformation is Ms. Vi Thi Anh - a young Thai ethnic woman who dedicated her youth to pursuing what seemed like a distant dream: Building wealth from the very barren hills of her homeland.

Born and raised amid rocky mountainous terrain, Anh's childhood was closely tied to harvesting cassava and acacia, crops that yielded low economic returns. Year-round, local residents toiled on the hillsides, yet their lives remained a struggle. Large areas of hilly land were left abandoned simply because no suitable crop could be found.

In 2014, after graduating from the National Academy of Public Administration, Anh had the opportunity to work in her field of study. However, every time she returned home, seeing the empty hillsides and the hardships faced by the local people left her deeply restless.

After getting married, Anh made a decision that took many by surprise: giving up her stable job to return to her hometown and pursue agriculture. It was not an impulsive youthful whim, but the result of months of research and exploration. Night after night, she scoured the internet for crops capable of thriving in her locality's arid soil. After much deliberation, red turmeric emerged as the perfect answer.

According to Ms. Anh, red turmeric is not only highly adaptable to the natural conditions of Tho Binh but also possesses high economic value due to its rich curcumin content, making it highly sought after in food processing and pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, both domestic and export market potentials are vast.

In 2016, she boldly invested over 3,800 to purchase 3 tons of red turmeric seeds for a trial planting on abandoned hilly land. This initial step yielded highly positive signals. The turmeric plants thrived, producing high-quality tubers with a deep coloration and an active compound content significantly higher than those grown in many other regions. This early success fueled her confidence to keep pursuing her chosen path.

However, in 2018, when she decided to expand the production area, borrowing land from relatives and leasing plots from local villagers to build a raw material hub, her entrepreneurial journey took an unexpected turn, plunging into crisis.

However, turmeric cultivation techniques were still limited, and pest outbreaks began to affect yields. An even greater setback came when a company that had committed to purchasing the harvest unexpectedly backed out of the agreement, leaving dozens of tonnes of fresh turmeric with no buyers when harvest season arrived.

At a time when many would have given up, Anh chose a different path. If fresh turmeric could not be sold, she reasoned, then its value had to be increased. Rather than relying on traders, she invested in processing equipment to develop value-added products. Turmeric starch, dried turmeric slices, turmeric powder, and whole dried turmeric rhizomes were among the first products to be introduced.

With proper processing, the value of the crop increased significantly. No longer entirely dependent on traders or the raw-material market, Anh gradually established her own brand and secured a stronger market position.

Recognizing the long-term potential of the business, she founded the Anh Mai Medicinal Agricultural Cooperative in 2023, transforming the operation from a household-scale enterprise into a professionally managed cooperative.

From an initial planting area of just a few hectares, the cooperative has expanded its raw-material zone to more than eight hectares. Its products are now distributed across many provinces and cities in Viet Nam and are gradually entering demanding international markets, including Japan, South Korea, and India. Alongside the expansion of the cultivation area, the cooperative's revenue has grown significantly, reaching more than USD 7,600 per hectare per year.

More importantly, the cooperative's success has benefited the wider community rather than just a single family. It currently provides stable employment for around 15 local workers, each earning USD 265-305 per month. Many households that once relied solely on acacia and cassava cultivation have shifted to growing red sticky turmeric or joined the cooperative's production network.

What was once met with hesitation has gradually turned into confidence. Farmers across the area are increasingly adopting improved cultivation techniques, embracing safer production practices, and focusing on higher-value agricultural products. On hillsides that were once abandoned, the lush green of red sticky turmeric is steadily replacing the barren, sun-scorched landscape.

Beyond economic development, the cooperative and its members are deeply committed to community initiatives. They actively participate in charitable activities, promote environmental protection, and implement projects that recycle agricultural by-products into organic fertilizers.

Anh's dedication has earned widespread recognition. In 2024, she received the 19th Luong Dinh Cua Award, one of the highest honors presented by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee to outstanding young rural entrepreneurs for excellence in production, business, start-up initiatives, and agricultural development.

In 2025, Vi Thi Anh won the First Prize in the "Start-up Projects for Youth Union Members and Young People 2025" competition, organized by the Thanh Hoa Provincial Youth Union, with her project titled "Cultivation and Deep Processing of Red Sticky Turmeric Grown on Rocky Mountains."

"The greatest reward is probably not the certificates or titles," Anh said. "It is seeing the once-barren hills covered in green turmeric fields, watching local people gain stable jobs and better incomes, and realizing a simple truth: opportunities for prosperity are not found only in favorable places. Even the most challenging land can become fertile ground for success if there is enough faith and perseverance to turn obstacles into opportunities."