Don't forget the "sparrow"...
Along with attracting "big players," the Provincial Steering Committee for Medicinal Plant Development will research and propose the development of new mechanisms and policies for smaller, less reputable companies.
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Nhat Lan |Design:Huu Quan• July 11, 2026
A colleague recently shared an article with the title...Don't just search"eagle”Let's nurture the whole flock."sparrow”(TheLEADER online magazine, July 6, 2026) posted on personal Facebook. This is an informational article about the suggestions of former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan for An Giang province, when he participated in the Vietnam Private Economic Forum 2026 - An Giang Province Dialogue Session.
There, former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan began his speech with vivid imagery: “Every morning in the U Minh Thuong forest, as the sun rises, we see hundreds of birds flying in search of food. Some are very large. But most are small. Interestingly, no one asks whether that forest lives off eagles or sparrows.”
From those images, he offered a perspective on local economic development, suggesting that the vitality of an economy is not solely built on billion-dollar projects or strategic investors. Equally important is the ability to nurture thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, who are constantly seeking opportunities from the local resources. Like a forest, it is only sustainable when all links in the ecosystem coexist and thrive. Similarly, a local economy is only truly strong when it creates space for all stakeholders to participate in the value creation process.
According to my colleague, the suggestion from former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan was excellent, and it was concluded that this would lead to more policies to help the small and medium-sized enterprise community develop.
Read the articleDon't just look for "eagles," nurture the whole flock."sparrowThen, I suddenly remembered that in 2022, Mr. Tran Quoc Thanh - former Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Nghe An province - had discussed similar matters. At that time, I asked him to evaluate Pu Mat Medicinal Herbs Joint Stock Company - a unit implementing a model of a local enterprise within a cooperative.
Then, Mr. Tran Quoc Thanh said: “In a forest, there are not only eagles but also sparrows. To develop the medicinal plant industry, we need not only eagles but also sparrows. Local businesses like Pu Mat Medicinal Plant Joint Stock Company are like these sparrows, very valuable. Because only local businesses can easily connect with the people to create raw material areas without the State having to reclaim land. Participating in the business model within the cooperative, Pu Mat Medicinal Plant Joint Stock Company plays a leading role, responsible for supplying seeds, raw materials, fertilizers, technology, and guaranteeing the purchase of products from members who are households with land and labor. Although Pu Mat Medicinal Plant Joint Stock Company is still in the startup phase and has many difficulties to overcome, I believe it will succeed...”
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From 2022 to the present, more than four years have passed—a long enough time to prove the assessment of former Director of the Nghe An Department of Science and Technology, Tran Quoc Thanh, correct! Pu Mat Medicinal Herbs Joint Stock Company has established a firm foothold in the medicinal herbs market, with many products consistently achieving high rankings in Nghe An's OCOP (One Commune One Product) awards.
Recently, during a conversation, Ms. Vo Thi Minh Sinh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province, informed me that on June 26, 2026, the Provincial Party Committee issued Decision No. 980-QD/TU establishing the Steering Committee for the Development of Medicinal Plants in Nghe An province for the period 2026-2030, with a vision to 2045. One of the key tasks of the Steering Committee is to research, advise, and propose to the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Party Committee's Executive Board policies and orientations for the development of medicinal plants. This includes planning the development of medicinal plant growing areas; attracting investment; organizing production, processing, and consumption of products; building mechanisms and policies; mobilizing resources; and identifying key tasks and solutions to develop the medicinal plant industry in a comprehensive, sustainable manner, consistent with the province's conditions and development requirements.
I am pleased to see that Nghe An province has a Steering Committee for the Development of the Medicinal Plant Industry. Our province possesses over one million hectares of forest land and natural forests, and many studies confirm that there is significant potential for developing the medicinal plant industry, yet for many years we have been struggling to find a clear direction. I hope that the suggestions from former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan will be considered and researched by the provincial Steering Committee for the Development of Medicinal Plants.
In the not-too-distant future, along with attracting "big players," the Provincial Steering Committee for Medicinal Plant Development will research and propose the development of new mechanisms and policies for smaller, less successful farmers. This will help the province have more "smaller" farmers to develop sustainably, providing assistance to more families in rural and mountainous areas facing numerous difficulties...
