Preserving upstream protective forests associated with developing medicinal plants

Forestry seedling nursery at Thuong Xuan Forest Protection Management Board serves to expand the area of new forest planting.

To protect the forest from the root, the Management Board has proactively developed plans and strategies for forest protection, forest fire prevention and fighting (FFF) every year. It has directed unit staff to coordinate with local authorities and relevant units in the area to disseminate the State's policies and laws on FPF and FPF to the people; strengthen inspection of key forests, control people entering and leaving the forest during hot weather and sources of flammable materials in the area. The Management Board has assigned staff to villages and hamlets to survey issues related to protection forest management. Villages and hamlets with forests have coordinated well with forest owners and some people who often cut down forests have signed commitments not to violate the law on forest protection management...

The Thuong Xuan Forest Management Board has provided technical guidance, production and supply of good quality forestry seedlings and medicinal plants from 2 to 4 million seedlings of various types/year. Organized households to receive forestry land contracts to plant new and replant exploited forests according to regulations. To increase crop productivity, from 2021 to July 2025, the board has promoted and mobilized households to receive contracts to plant about 230 hectares of forest using tissue cultured acacia trees. The entire forest area planted with tissue cultured trees is being cared for, protected, and prevented from pests and diseases, and the trees are growing and developing well.

According to a survey in the area of Thuong Xuan Forest Management Board, there are many areas in the microclimate area with relatively high humidity, which is very suitable for the development of non-timber forest products under the natural forest canopy, especially rare medicinal plants with economic value. However, due to the lack of investment programs and projects to support the planting of medicinal plants, people spontaneously go into the forest to collect medicinal plants to sell to traders excessively and without control. Therefore, the quantity and reserves of endangered and rare medicinal plants have seriously decreased.

Director of Thuong Xuan Forestry Management Board, Mr. Le The Su shared: In recent years, Thuong Xuan Forestry Management Board has developed and implemented the Project "Application of science and technology to build a model for planting, processing and consuming some medicinal herbs such as Cat Sam and Hoai Son in the mountainous areas of Thanh Hoa province", the implementation period is from September 2020 to 2025. The goal of the project is to expand the medicinal herb growing area to areas in the locality and mountainous areas of Thanh Hoa province. Change the structure of low-value crops to high-value crops, preserve indigenous medicinal plants, and increase income for people. As a result, from 2022 to July 2025, the committee has promoted, provided technical support, provided seedlings, and linked with households in need of participation in the project's implementation model, planting 13 hectares of Chinese yam (yam), 35 hectares of Chinese cat's claw (codonopsis pilosula), and 2 hectares of Chinese centipede (codonopsis pilosula). In 2023, Chinese yam was harvested and the profit after deducting costs reached 60 to 80 million VND/ha/year. The estimated income value of Chinese cat's claw after 6 to 7 years of planting is 10 times higher than that of planting regular acacia trees per cycle and unit of planting area. Currently, households have invested their own capital to continue expanding the cultivation of medicinal plants. The unit has cooperated with the people of communes in the region such as Xuan Chinh, Van Xuan, Luan Thanh, Tan Thanh... with land suitable for growing Chinese yam and cat sam and signed contracts to supply seedlings, transfer science and technology and sign contracts to consume post-harvest products for the people. In 2025, it will continue to cooperate to expand the area of newly planted medicinal plants Bach Bo and Cat Sam from 15 to 20 hectares; in the following years, it is estimated to plant 20 hectares or more each year. In 2025 and 2026, Thuong Xuan Forest Protection Management Board will cooperate with the Institute for Regional Research and Development under the Ministry of Science and Technology to develop an OCOP product of Cat Sam herbal tea bags.

The project of developing medicinal plants under the forest canopy of the Thuong Xuan Forest Protection Management Board has spread widely in the management unit and neighboring communes. It not only helps people change their thinking, their ways of doing, and change the crop structure towards commodity production, but also contributes to improving people's livelihoods. Building a team of technical workers from local people to implement the project, contributing to bringing industrialization and modernization to agriculture and rural areas in mountainous areas. The Board has proposed to the authorities to build a number of suitable and sustainable development models with the potential, strengths and qualifications of local people.

Thanks to actively planting, protecting and developing medicinal plants under the forest canopy, local people have had more jobs and income on the spot. The existing protective and production forest areas are safely protected, without forest fires. Forest security in the area is maintained. The forest coverage managed by the Thuong Xuan Forest Protection Management Board has reached over 90% so far. The area of depleted natural forests has been restored and developed stably. Multi-layered, multi-canopy forests have not only promoted the function of protection, protecting biodiversity and the environment, but also created a source of water for irrigation works, a place for animals to live and preserve the gene source of forest animals and plants.

Article and photos: Thu Hoa

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/giu-rung-phong-ho-dau-nguon-gan-voi-phat-trien-cay-duoc-lieu-256434.htm