Ngoc Linh ginseng and medicinal herbs in Da Nang to be legally grown in forest

This is a remarkable milestone for Da Nang - a locality that has great potential for precious medicinal herbs such as Ngoc Linh ginseng, Morinda officinalis, Codonopsis pilosula, and Purple cardamom. These species are mainly grown under the canopy of natural forests in high mountainous areas but have long lacked a legal corridor for sustainable development.

According to the new regulations, people and businesses are allowed to legally cultivate medicinal plants in protective, special-use and production forests, if they have a plan approved by competent authorities. However, cultivation must not degrade the forest’s ecological functions and must strictly follow technical guidelines. In particular, such processing activities as soaking, drying, and fermenting are strictly prohibited in the forest to minimize the risk of pollution and forest fires, thereby ensuring that the forest remains intact.

The Decree also clearly decentralizes power to local authorities, allowing Da Nang to proactively issue a list of medicinal plants suitable for the ecological conditions of each region, while promoting the connection of communities, household groups, and businesses in building raw material areas under the forest canopy. Organizations and individuals can sign contracts to lease the forest environment for a term of up to 10 years, with guaranteed rights and access to incentive policies supporting the development of a bio-economy.

Notably, the concepts of “medicinal plants in the forest” and “harvesting medicinal plants” are also clearly defined for the first time, in order to separate legal cultivation activities from uncontrolled natural exploitation. This helps eliminate the situation of “circumventing the law” in exploiting forest resources, while affirming the policy of developing the medicinal herbs industry in a systematic and sustainable manner that aligns with biodiversity conservation.

With this new policy framework, Da Nang now has favourable conditions to scale up its Ngoc Linh ginseng cultivation under forest canopies in a legal and transparent manner. Local businesses expect to have access to legal land funds, and apply high technology in traceability, preservation of native strains, and deep processing. This will help form closed value chains, both creating livelihoods for people in mountainous areas and enhancing the brand value of Ngoc Linh ginseng and indigenous medicinal herbs.

Many experts believe that Decree 183 will pave the way for Da Nang to become a medicinal herb hub in the central region, contributing to realizing the national strategy on bio-economic development by 2030. As forest resources are effectively managed and linked to the green livelihood model, Vietnamese medicinal herbs, especially endemic species such as Ngoc Linh ginseng, will have the opportunity to reach the national prominence and gradually enter the international market.