Community development of medicinal plants under natural forest canopy in Tuong Duong - Part 2: Changes in Na Kho
For over 2 years now, Na Kho village, Nga My commune, Tuong Duong border district has seen many changes in economic development. The most obvious change is in economic development with "strange yet familiar" models from growing medicinal herbs.
Na Kho village is more than 20 km from the center of Nga My commune, Tuong Duong district. Welcoming us right at the village's cultural house, Na Kho village chief Lu Van Uon took us to visit the largest medicinal plant growing model under the forest canopy of the village. This is also the first model that 15 households of Na Kho village have benefited from 2022.
Also accompanying them were a number of households involved in growing medicinal plants, which are beneficiaries of funding from the Project to Support Communities in Buffer Zones to Develop Medicinal Plants Under Forest Canopy to Increase Income and Conserve Biodiversity in the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve. Village Chief Lu Van Uon said that this is a “strange yet familiar” model of the villagers.
Strange because this is the first time in this remote village there is a medicinal plant growing model on the mountainside, under the forest canopy, with proper investment and detailed instructions on growing medicinal plants.
Familiar because the plant is a familiar medicinal herb to the people here. Na Kho is a remote commune of Nga My commune, located deep in the core area of Pu Huong Nature Reserve, the people's lives depend heavily on forest resource exploitation activities. For generations, Na Kho villagers have often exploited natural roots of the plant in the forest to sell. However, no one has planted the plant under the forest canopy.
Mr. Lo Van Son - one of the beneficiaries of the Project to Support Communities in Buffer Zones to Develop Medicinal Plants Under Forest Canopy to Increase Income and Conserve Biodiversity in the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve in Na Kho village said that the whole village has 15 households participating in taking care of the cypress garden of more than 3 hectares, with about 9,000 seedlings.
“I and 14 households in the village have been taking care of the Cyperus rotundus under the forest canopy for more than 2 years now, since July 2022. The trees are growing and developing well. According to the regulations of the households, every 1-2 weeks we visit the garden together and clear the surrounding grass and weeds. This is a shade-loving tree, so there is no need to clear much, just check the growth status, and the stakes to make the tree climb firmly. Previously, Na Kho villagers exploited Cyperus rotundus roots from the natural forest, but it is becoming less and less. Now that the trees are planted, we no longer have to climb mountains or wade through streams into the deep forest to find roots,” said Mr. Lo Van Son.
Na Kho villagers said that after being brought home, the naturally harvested Bai Bu tubers are purchased by traders at 400,000 VND/yen of dried tubers, or 80,000 VND/yen of fresh tubers. Now that the Bai Bu garden is sponsored, it not only helps the villagers have an additional source of income but also helps change their mindset about growing and exploiting local medicinal plants.
Mr. Kha Van Thu - Vice Chairman of Nga My Commune People's Committee said that from 2022, people in two villages of the commune, Xop Kho and Na Kho, will benefit from funding from the Project to Support Communities in Buffer Zones to Develop Medicinal Plants Under Forest Canopy to Increase Income and Conserve Biodiversity in the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve. In Na Kho village, there is a model of more than 3 hectares of Cyperus rotundus, in Xop Kho village, there is a model of purple Morinda officinalis also over 3 hectares, both of which are planted under the forest canopy.
The plant is a valuable medicinal plant, effective in treating bronchitis, tuberculosis, whooping cough, dysentery, amoeba; hookworm, whipworm, pinworm; itchy skin, eczema, dermatitis. The root of the plant is also used to kill fleas, bedbugs, lice, and insects. The plant is a temperate climate-loving plant, likes shade when young, and prefers sandy soil, rich in humus, and cool moisture. Planted in the rainy season, if there is no rain, it must be watered. After 2 years, the roots can be harvested. If left for a long time (3 - 5 years), the roots will be large and of high quality. The yield is about 6 - 10 tons/ha, after drying, 2 - 4 tons of dry matter are harvested.
Medicinal herb gardens not only create jobs and income for dozens of households in each village, but also help strengthen forest protection and management activities, restore and sustainably harvest medicinal plants under the forest canopy; develop models for propagating and planting medicinal plants under the forest canopy; help raise community awareness and capacity in managing and developing medicinal plants under the forest canopy.
The project "Supporting communities in buffer zone communes to develop medicinal plants under forest canopy to increase income and conserve biodiversity in the Western Nghe An World Biosphere Reserve" is implemented by the Center for Environment and Biological Resources (CEBR) and technical support experts, Vinh University.
This project is coordinated by the Small Grants Program (SGP) - Global Environment Facility (GEF) within the framework of the Project: "Integrating natural resource management and biodiversity conservation objectives into socio-economic development planning and management of biosphere reserves in Vietnam" (BR Project) implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and funded by GEF through UNDP Vietnam.
