Con Cuong: Two valuable medicinal products launched onto the market.

(Baonghean.vn) – Exploiting its potential advantages, Con Cuong, in coordination with Thanh An Agricultural Science and Technology Services Joint Stock Company, has successfully implemented a project to cultivate, process, and supply two medicinal products to the market: Solanum torvum and Gymnema sylvestre.

Medicinal plants are grown in Chi Khe - Con Cuong. Photo: TC

Recognizing the potential advantages of medicinal plant cultivation in the area and aiming to transform the structure of crops and livestock, creating marketable products, in late 2016, Con Cuong district implemented a science and technology project to build a model for growing medicinal plants in Chi Khe.

The project received funding for training in planting and caring for valuable medicinal plants, fertilizers, and 16,500 seedlings, including types such as spoonwort, milk thistle, and honeysuckle, to be planted on an area of ​​5 hectares in Quyet Tien village, Chi Khe commune.

Former Minister of Trade Truong Dinh Tuyen visits a medicinal herb garden in Chi Khe. Photo: Ba Hau.

Following the project's implementation, Thanh An Agricultural Science and Technology Services Joint Stock Company invested in building transportation routes for raw materials, a solar-powered medicinal herb drying facility, workshops, and machinery for a closed-loop processing chain of products, and provided good care for the raw material area, which is now ready for harvest.

A solar-powered material drying facility. Photo: TV

The raw materials, including honeysuckle, milk thistle, and Gymnema sylvestre, are processed according to strict technical procedures. After harvesting, the raw materials are washed using a multi-purpose bubbling herbal washing machine, then cut into pieces and dried using solar drying technology. After drying, the processed materials are stored and roasted using a rotary drum roasting technology. Next, the herbs are finely ground and packaged according to standards. With a closed production line that ensures strict technical requirements, the company currently sells two product lines to the market: herbal tea and tea bags.

Packaging Gymnema sylvestre tea products at the facility. Photo: TC

Gymnema sylvestre, Solanum torvum, and Lonicera japonica are valuable medicinal plants that support the treatment of several diseases such as type 1 and type 2 diabetes, helping to lower and stabilize blood pressure and blood lipids (Gymnema sylvestre); protecting and restoring liver cells, lowering liver enzymes, and enhancing liver function in cases of impaired liver function due to hepatitis, fatty liver disease, hepatitis B, and detoxifying alcohol (Solanum torvum); clearing heat, detoxifying, and treating boils, hives, itching, measles, cholera, and dysentery (Lonicera japonica)...

Honeysuckle, Solanum torvum, and Gymnema sylvestre are widely adaptable medicinal plants that are easy to grow, easy to care for, and require little investment. Gymnema sylvestre, honeysuckle, and Solanum torvum have a rooting period of 3-10 years (Solanum torvum 3 years, honeysuckle 6-8 years, and Gymnema sylvestre 9-10 years). With a selling price of 70-120 thousand VND/kg after processing for each type, and an average yield of 10-11 tons/ha/year, these medicinal plants can bring in around 100 million VND/ha/year for medicinal plant growers in Con Cuong.

Medicinal products are successfully produced in Con Cuong. Photo: Tuong Vi

Currently, the company is propagating the plants from parent trees to implement cultivation in Thach Ngan commune on an area of ​​3 hectares. Local households have been trained in planting, caring for, harvesting, and processing the three types of medicinal plants. It is estimated that by 2020, the area of ​​these medicinal plants will expand to approximately 15 hectares.

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