A Ngoc Linh ginseng tree. (Photo: VOV)

Y Hiep and her husband in Dak Glei district said their recently-harvested Dang shen have all been sold out. In 2018, they earned more than 11,000 USD from selling Dang shen and this figure was much higher in 2019.

"Planting Dang shen is easy and brings a higher revenue than coffee. Traders often come straight to the fields to buy ginseng. We had a bumper crop this year. Each day we can earn around 230 USD from selling Dang shen," said Y Hiep.

Many Xo Dang people have become prosperous thanks to growing Ngoc Linh ginseng, Dang shen, and female ginseng in recent years, in addition to coffee and cassava.

Y Mua of Kon Plong district says her family earns thousands of USD from these varieties of ginseng.

"It’s much easier to grow female ginseng than coffee. I’ve planted this wild ginseng over the past 2 years and earned a good income," said Y Mua. 

Ngoc Linh Ginseng is one of the 20 most precious ginsengs in the world.

Each kg of Ngoc Linh ginseng fetches up to 5,000 USD while each ha of Dang shen often earns farmers 43,000 USD. Le Duc Tin, Deputy Chairman of Kon Plong district’s People’s Committee, said growing ginseng has opened up a new way for the local people to escape poverty.

"Growing ginseng over the past two years has significantly contributed to the local poverty reduction efforts. Many households have escaped poverty and some have become well-off thanks to ginseng farming. It’s expected that in the post-2020 period, these medicinal plants will help us escape poverty sustainably," said Tin. 

Last year, Kon Tum province provided hundreds of thousands of ginseng roots for the provincial markets only. Pham Thanh, Head of Mang Den High-tech Agriculture Area’s Management, said: "These plants’ survival rate is very high. We support the local farmers with technological consultation to help them choose the appropriate time for seedlings, and then provide them with processing and trading skills to develop their own businesses. We’ve seen a huge potential for growing ginseng here."

Kon Tum has expanded its ginseng cultivation areas to 750 ha with an output of nearly 4,000 tonnes, excluding Ngoc Linh ginseng.

Ngoc Linh ginseng contains 52 saponin and is highly effective when it comes to anti-stress and anti-aging treatments. It helps to improve immunity, enhance liver function and lower cholesterol and works well with antibiotics and diabetes medications. The ginseng has been designated as a national product.