Traders buy rare medicinal plant roots of Golden Camellia in Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) - While the Que Phong district governmentWhile implementing the Project on Conservation and Development of the Golden Camellia medicinal plant, there is a situation where local people go into the forest to dig up the roots of this plant to sell to private traders...

Information about the situation of digging and selling yellow Camellia tree roots was posted on his personal Facebook by the Director of the Department of Science and Technology, Mr. Tran Quoc Thanh.

Bundles of yellow Camellia roots are sold at a medicinal herb kiosk in Kim Son Town, which Director of the Department of Science and Technology Tran Quoc Thanh posted on his personal Facebook.

Mr. Tran Quoc Thanh wrote: “Currently, there is a phenomenon of some private traders purchasing the roots of the yellow Camellia trees in Que Phong. Therefore, in order to preserve, exploit and sustainably develop the yellow Camellia trees that nature has bestowed upon Que Phong, I suggest that the district widely propagate so that people understand not to dig and destroy them, and propagate to purchasing agents not to join hands with the destroyers for a few short-term profits.

At the same time, direct forest rangers and forest owners to tighten management and punish those who cut, dig, transport and even purchase yellow Camellia roots in the area.

Nature has given the local people a precious product. Let's join hands to protect and exploit it for development!"

Delegation from the Department of Science and Technology and Que Phong district visited the Golden Camellia nursery in Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc). (Photo: Facebook Tran Quoc Thanh)

Contacted, Mr. Tran Quoc Thanh said that recently, the Department of Science and Technology and the People's Committee of Que Phong district organized a trip to Vinh Phuc and Quang Ninh provinces to visit models of planting and processing Golden Camellia. Therefore, when he discovered that some medicinal herb stores in Kim Son town (Que Phong) were selling this tree root, he was very worried.

“The yellow camellia variety growing in Que Phong has distinct characteristics and is truly a precious medicinal herb that needs to be preserved and developed. We need to urgently intervene to prevent this situation…” – Mr. Thanh shared.

The Golden Camellia tree usually grows on hillsides, along streams... of Que Phong district. It was not until 2012 that it was discovered and announced; according to scientific documents, it contains more than 400 nutritional components and has high medicinal value.

Fresh and dried flowers of the Camellia tree. Photo: Facebook Tran Quoc Thanh

This plant belongs to the camellia family, has a small woody stem, and is 2 - 5m tall; it starts to sprout around April - May, starts to bloom in November and lasts until March of the following year. Camellia flowers are shiny waxy yellow with a diameter of 5 - 6cm; fresh flowers cost 1.5 - 2.5 million VND/kg and dried camellia flowers cost 3.5 - 5 million VND/kg.

Officials of Que Phong district and reporters of Nghe An Newspaper next to a yellow Camellia tree in the hills of Dong Van commune. Photo: Dao Tuan

Recognizing the value of the yellow camellia tree, the Que Phong district government has coordinated with the Department of Science and Technology to survey, research and develop this tree species. The Center for Applied Science and Technology (Department of Science and Technology) has also conducted a pilot planting of 1 hectare of yellow camellia in Dong Van commune and achieved good results.

The yellow camellia nursery of Que Phong district is located in Dong Van commune.- Photo: Dao Tuan

In April 2016, the People's Committee of Que Phong district established a Project for Conservation and Development of Medicinal Plants with High Economic Value for the period 2016 - 2020. Accordingly, by 2020, the total area of ​​​​yellow camellia will reach 95 hectares, mainly deployed in the communes of Dong Van, Thong Thu, Hanh Dich, Tien Phong, Muong Noc, Chau Kim.

The Director of Nghe An Department of Science and Technology warned that people digging up yellow camellia roots to sell to private traders is extremely dangerous.

Nhat Lan