Solutions to turn Ngoc Linh ginseng into global brand

On August 2, the Da Nang City People's Committee held the international scientific conference "Ngoc Linh Ginseng - From National Treasure to Global Brand." The conference attracted more than 200 domestic and international delegates, including experts, scientists, managers, and businesses involved in the research, cultivation, processing, and development of ginseng-based products. This was the key event of the 2026 Ngoc Linh Ginseng and International Medicinal Herbs Festival.

The conference focused on assessing the current development of Ngoc Linh ginseng, analyzing its potential, identifying bottlenecks, and proposing solutions to promote deep processing, expand export markets, and move toward establishing Da Nang as a national center for the medicinal herb industry.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Ho Quang Buu, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang City People's Committee, said that following the administrative merger, the city possesses the country's largest natural distribution area and growing area of Ngoc Linh ginseng, covering approximately 1,500 ha, along with more than 800 valuable medicinal herb species.

Da Nang has also been designated by the Prime Minister to become a center for the medicinal herb industry under Decision No. 463/QD-TTg dated February 28, 2025. This provides a foundation for the city to step up efforts to conserve genetic resources, develop plantations, propagate crop varieties, promote processing, build brands, and secure intellectual property protection for Ngoc Linh ginseng.

However, the development of Ngoc Linh ginseng and medicinal herbs still faces numerous bottlenecks, including production scales that remain incommensurate with the sector's potential, limited value chain linkages, underdeveloped deep-processing technologies, and persistent difficulties in protecting medicinal herb resources.

The Vice Chairman of the Da Nang City People's Committee expressed hope that the opinions presented at the conference would help propose feasible solutions to develop a sustainable medicinal herb industry in the city and increase the added value of Ngoc Linh ginseng in the coming time.

Dr. Tran Minh Ngoc, Director of the National Institute of Medical Materials under the Ministry of Health, said Viet Nam needs about 80,000-90,000 tons of medicinal herbs annually but still imports up to 80% of its supply. He noted that the application of science and technology in production remains limited, with many growing areas still relying on traditional cultivation methods and lacking quality management procedures. Weak deep-processing technologies, concentrated raw-material areas, and value-chain linkages have also constrained the competitiveness of medicinal herb products.

To address these shortcomings, the National Institute of Medical Materials has proposed five groups of solutions covering mechanisms and policies; investment and finance; science and technology; human resource development; and domestic and international cooperation, with the aim of establishing a sustainable medicinal herb value chain.

Sharing experience from South Korea, Prof. Deok Chun Yang, a ginseng expert, said the successful development of the ginseng industry must be based on a combination of historical value, scientific foundations, standardized cultivation processes, a processing industry, and an international branding strategy.

According to him, Ngoc Linh ginseng has significant potential for the development of high-value pharmaceutical products and functional foods. However, this potential can only be fully realized by simultaneously conserving genetic resources, standardizing quality, intensifying research, and investing in industrial-scale processing to enhance the product's competitiveness in global markets.

On this occasion, the Quang Nam Ngoc Linh Ginseng Association, Da Nang City, and the Geumsan Ginseng Association of South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in promoting the development of Ngoc Linh ginseng and medicinal herbs, strengthening investment linkages and technology transfer, and expanding trade and international markets.

Dr. Tran Minh Ngoc, Director of the National Institute of Medicinal Materials under the Ministry of Health, said Ngoc Linh ginseng (Panax vietnamensis) is an endemic species found only in Vietnam's Ngoc Linh mountain range at elevations of 1,500-2,100 meters.