Nghệ An Plans Medicinal Herb and Community Tourism Village in Mường Lống

Nghệ An province is promoting medicinal herb cultivation beneath forest canopies in Mường Lống and plans to pilot a “Happy Village” in Mường Lống 1 village, combining herb production with community tourism and preservation of Hmong culture. Local herb cultivation and harvesting have been scattered and small in scale, with sales dependent on traders, leaving their economic potential unrealized.

The Mường Lống Center for Medicinal Plant Conservation and Development is gradually establishing conservation, research, propagation and production areas across a planned site of about 136 hectares. It has successfully propagated about 40 valuable native medicinal plant species and varieties listed in the Vietnamese Ministry of Health’s medicinal plant catalog. The center has also conserved nine valuable medicinal plant species. It provides permanent jobs for 10 workers, with monthly incomes of about VND 6 million to VND 7 million, and employs nearly 20 seasonal workers at about VND 260,000 per day.

A medicinal plant known as tam thất Bắc conserved and propagated in Mường Lống.（VietVance）

TH Herbals Joint Stock Company, part of TH Group, has invested in medicinal herb farms and helps manage the center. The company is gradually expanding beyond cultivation and harvesting into preliminary processing, extraction and product manufacturing, developing products including essential oils, soap, shampoo and herbal drinks. It also buys nearly five tonnes of herbal raw materials from local residents each year.

TH Group is working with local authorities to finalize the pilot proposal, covering priority crops, production arrangements, product sales and the implementation schedule. Under the plan, the company will handle branding and sales and buy products at agreed prices; residents will grow and tend medicinal plants under a common process; and local authorities will support them with seedlings, fertilizer, infrastructure and technical training. These arrangements are still being developed as part of the proposal.

Artichoke plants successfully propagated in Mường Lống.（VietVance）

The locality also plans to incorporate clean production, livestock raising, homestays and experiences of local life into community tourism. Mường Lống commune plans to make four traditional forges part of its cultural experiences. Nghệ An hopes the pilot will raise residents’ incomes while protecting forest resources and Hmong traditions, and will study whether to extend the model to other suitable areas.

Source: VietVance