(HBO) – Born into a farming family, Nguyen Thuy Linh, in Yen Thuy district, soon recognised potential and strength of the locality in planting and preserving precious medicinal herbs, including ca gai leo (scientifically known as Solanum procumbens).

Nguyen
Thuy Linh and her production chain of Solanum procumbens tea.
Solanum
procumbens has been planted in Yen Thuy since 2015 under the second phase of a
poverty reduction project. To meet the increasing demand of the market, in
August 2016, Thuy decided to open a Solanum procumbens tea production facility.
At first, she
produced tea only on office-off days. However, with limited capital investment
and experience, she had met a range of difficulties.
"On the first
days, I went to office in the daytime and read documents on Solanum procumbens
as well as business strategy at night. During weekends, I directly worked with
employees at the facility,” she said.
Her efforts paid
off as in 2017, Linh was eligible to get loans for her start-up project,
allowing her to expand production.
She now owns a
Solanum procumbens tea production facility in Yen Son hamlet, Yen Lac commune,
Yen Thuy district, covering 120 sq.m. Linh signed contracts with local farmers
to plant Solanum procumbens in line with Good Agricultural and Collection
Practices (GACP) standards. She has introduced Binh An Solanum procumbens tea
to the market. With the mixture of Solanum procumbens and Celastrus hindsii and
sweetleaves, Binh An tea has beneficial effects in the prevention and treatment
of high liver enzymes, B and C hepatitis viruses, urticaria, acne, indigestion,
and especially diabetes.
Sweetleaves’
glycoside compounds are 300 times sweeter than sucrose (ordinary table
sugar), thus helping prevent high liver enzymes. Produced from medicinal
plants, Solanum procumbens tea is safe for users.
Linh’s tea
production facility is operating with specialised machines and three workers,
each earning an average of 3-5 million VND monthly.
The product has
been sold in many cities and provinces nationwide like Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Ho Chi
Minh City, Buon Me Thuot, Hoa Binh, Ha Noi, Ninh Binh and Bac Giang, receiving
positive response from customers.
Linh said she
plans to expand tea production to 1ha in order to meet the market’s huge
demand. Apart from purchasing more machines, she will develop a model of
preserving precious medicinal herbs on an area of 6,000 sq.m, at a total cost
of about 5 billion VND.
After more than four years of implementing a project launched by the Hoa Binh Party Committee’s Standing Board on developing agriculture and promoting product consumption linked with building new-style rural areas for the 2021-2025 period, the province’s industry and trade sector has made significant strides, greatly contributing to local socio-economic development.
Luong Son district has identified 2025 as the year for the accelerated breakthrough to successfully implement the socio-economic development plan for the 5-year period from 2021 to 2025. The district has been focusing on executing the plans and trying to achieve a GRDP growth rate of approximately 15%.
Since the beginning of this year, under the direction of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the Sub-Department of Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishery Product Quality Management has strengthened the integration of the professional activities to promote and guide the organizations and individuals in the production and trading of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products to comply with the legal regulations regarding the use of chemicals, pesticides and veterinary medicines in crop cultivation, livestock farming and aquaculture. They also provide guidance to processing and manufacturing establishments on keeping the records to trace the product origins and using food additives from the approved list according to the regulations.
Hoa Binh province saw a significant rise in state budget revenue in the first two months of 2025, heard a meeting chaired by Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Quach Tat Liem.
Ha Thi Ha Chi, a 26-year-old graduate in law, has taken an unconventional path by returning to her hometown in Mai Chau district to establish the Tong Dau Cooperative, creating stable jobs for local women and bringing Thai ethnic brocade weaving to the global market.
As the Lunar New Year 2025 approached, pork prices surged, creating a profitable season for farmers in Tan Vinh commune, Luong Son district. Taking advantage of the rising demand, Can Minh Son, a farmer from Coi hamlet, sold over 30 pigs at 69,000 VND/kg, each weighing more than 100 kg. After deducting expenses, his family earned a profit of over 50 million VND.