Replacing less productive crops with herbal medicines has proven to be an effective direction for many localities in Hoa Binh province.
In 2018, the Big Farm herbal cooperative leased 10 ha of mixed garden land from farmers in Men village, Yen Hoa commune (Da Bac district) to start growing several types of herbal plants.
Yen Tri commune in Yen Thuy district is one of the "bright spots" in herbal medicine development. Chairman of the communal People’s Committee Bui Phi Diep said that when embarking on the new-style rural area building scheme, the first challenge for the local authorities was how to increase the income for local residents. He added that the orientation of switching to herbal medicine cultivation on areas of less productive crops and mixed gardens aimed for this goal.
To achieve the highest effectiveness, the local authority selected high-value herbal plants and precious indigenous medicinal plants, and encourages residents to cultivate these as replacements. At the same time, it has proposed the district collaborate with herbal medicine centres and pharmaceutical companies to develop a production linkage model.
Cultivating medicinal plants generates economic value approximately three times higher than rice cultivation, helping to improve the incomes of many households in Yen Tri. The area dedicated to herbal plant cultivation in the commune has expanded to about 35 ha, attracting 45 households in the Yen Tri Agricultural Cooperative, and 100 other households to join.
Besides Yen Tri, the cultivation and development of medicinal plants have been implemented in many localities. So far, Hoa Binh has approximately 2,350 ha of medicinal plants, including 197.6 ha where the plants are intercropped on forest land.
Some of the main medicinal plants including lemongrass, solanum procumbens, and celastrus hindsii, with yearly average outputs of 11,000 tonnes, 1,200 tonnes and 1,620 tonnes, respectively. Additionally, there are various naturally harvested medicinal plants, such as cordyceps, passionflower, Paris polyphylla smith, and anoectochilus.
In recent years, the provincial authorities have issued many mechanisms and policies to encourage investment in planting and processing of medicinal plants. Projects and socio-economic development programmes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas and the "One Commune, One Product" programme have helped promote and encourage economic sectors to invest in the cultivation and and processing of medicinal plants.
Currently, the province has 13 facilities and enterprises engaged in the purchasing and preliminary processing of medicinal plants, along with 10 small-scale processing establishments run by enterprises and households. These efforts have initially created stable outlets for medicinal plants in the province.
According to the leadership of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the coming time, based on natural conditions, market demand, economic value, and export potential, the locality will develop a list of prioritised medicinal plants for development. Additionally, it will establish mechanisms, policies, and support plans for the cultivation, development, and harvesting of medicinal plants in special-use forests, protective forests, and production forests; as well as renting land for medicinal plant development; in line with forest management regulations and the provisions of the Land Law in 2024.
The success of the Phu Luong wild chili cultivation model in Quyet Thang commune, Lac Son district, not only demonstrates the economic potential of this plant but also affirms the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation of ethnic minority women.
With a total investment of nearly 10 trillion VND (nearly 406 million USD), the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau Expressway (section Km19+000 - Km53+000 in Hoa Binh province) has been the largest transport project in Hoa Binh province to date. As its construction is planned to begin in September, the management board of traffic works investment projects of the province is urgently preparing all conditions to start the work.
The Hoa Binh Power Corporation (PC Hoa Binh) has capitalised on telecommunications and IT infrastructure to promote digital transformation, scoring significant results over the past time.
On November 7, 2022, the Hoa Binh provincial People’s Committee issued Action Plan No. 212/KH-UBND on the implementation of the national programme on aquaculture development for the 2021 - 2030 period in the locality. Improvements have been recorded thanks to programme implementation over the last more than two years.
The 34-km Hoa Binh-Moc Chau Expressway whose construction began on September 29 is expected to pave the way for the northwestern region to grow further.
