Positioning Lai Chau ginseng on Viet Nam's medicinal plant map

Lai Chau’s agriculture is distinctly characterized by its diverse microclimates. The province boasts a range of key products such as tea, macadamia, cinnamon, specialty rice, and cold-water fish. Although production scale remains modest, these products carry unique value closely tied to local advantages.

In implementing the Prime Minister’s directive, Lai Chau has identified its endemic ginseng as Lai Chau ginseng. The province has issued a resolution, conducted various studies and climate zoning assessments, and developed mechanisms for conservation and propagation, laying a foundation for long-term development.

At the press briefing for the conference on “Developing Commodity Agriculture and Medicinal Herbs toward a Green Economy” held on the afternoon of April 16, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dong, Deputy Director of the Lai Chau Department of Agriculture and Environment, noted that fragmented terrain and long distances from major economic centers remain significant bottlenecks for agricultural development and investment attraction. However, during this term, the Government has prioritized investment in an expressway connection, which is expected to shorten geographical distances and create new momentum for growth.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Le Trong Dam, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the VAN News, remarked that Lai Chau ginseng is a valuable product with strong potential for brand development, though it has been constrained by limited transport infrastructure. In addition, the province holds other advantages, including large reservoir areas, potential for cold-water fish farming in Tam Duong, and rubber cultivation. He expressed hope that the upcoming conference would continue to attract businesses and enable journalists to directly experience and reflect on the province’s agricultural potential.

“In previous years, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), together with the province, organized numerous investment promotion conferences. I expect the upcoming event will continue to attract enterprises and create opportunities for journalists to directly experience and highlight the potential of local agricultural products,” he added.

Although it shares several similarities with Ngoc Linh ginseng, Lai Chau ginseng possesses distinct values of its own and is even rated higher by some studies. The province therefore considers it a “national treasure” that requires systematic conservation and development.

According to the leadership of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Lai Chau’s orientation is to pursue in-depth development associated with green growth, enhancing production efficiency and resource management while ensuring environmental protection, with a particular focus on its flagship products. At the same time, the province has proposed stronger coordination among ministries and sectors such as Science and Technology, Agriculture and Environment, and Health to consolidate the scientific foundation, shape the brand, and expand markets for Lai Chau ginseng.

“Lai Chau plans to collaborate with the VAN News to invite international organizations such as FAO, WWF, and the United Nations to visit and attend the conference, thereby promoting the image of Vietnamese ginseng in general and Lai Chau ginseng in particular. Through this event, the province hopes to explore new opportunities for cooperation and continue partnerships with counterparts in Korea and Japan. This will also serve as a foundation to advance the development of medicinal plant regions, gradually positioning ginseng as a high-value sector and elevating this ‘national treasure’ of Viet Nam in the international market,” said Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dong.

The conference on “Developing Commodity Agriculture and Medicinal Herbs toward a Green Economy” will take place over two days, April 23-24, in Lai Chau Province, with approximately 250-300 in-person participants and 300-400 joining online. As part of the conference, memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremonies will be held among regulatory agencies, departments, research institutes, industry associations, enterprises, and cooperatives.

In addition, an exhibition area featuring OCOP products and key agricultural products, comprising around 50 booths, will showcase 3- to 5-star certified products, deeply processed goods, environmentally friendly items, green packaging, and products with traceability.