Female director started her business from "housekeeping tree"

From a “housekeeping” plant in Danh Mountain (Bac Giang), Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Dung has built the Nam Ginseng Cooperative with more than 150 regular workers. Her entrepreneurial journey not only creates a livelihood but also contributes to enhancing the economic power of hundreds of rural women.

Awakening the value of "housekeeping" plants

Early in the morning, when the mist was still covering the Danh mountain slopes, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Dung (born in 1986) - Director of the Danh Mountain Ginseng Cooperative (Sau village, Lien Chung commune, Tan Yen district, Bac Giang province) was present in the ginseng garden. To her, each ginseng plant is like an old friend, some of which she planted herself when the cooperative first started, now in its seventh year, tall, with lush branches and leaves, and roots that penetrate deep into the ground.

Marrying a man from Lien Chung commune - a poor area in Tan Yen district (Bac Giang), Ms. Dung began her life in the mountains with a journey of attachment to agriculture . Graduating from the Department of Agricultural Extension - Rural Development of Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, she returned to work as an agricultural officer in the locality.

Traveling a lot, meeting a lot, hearing a lot, from the stories of the elderly about the "housekeeping" plant, used to treat fever, cough, or as a steaming medicine for children, she gradually came up with the idea of ​​reviving the value of Danh mountain ginseng.

With the support of the Bac Giang Provincial Plant Seed Center, she and several households started to try planting. In 2020, she established a cooperative with 17 members. At the same time, the Lien Chung Commune government included ginseng development in the Party resolution, encouraging each Party member to plant 20 trees.

South Mountain Ginseng Garden

According to the Agricultural Genetics Institute, Danh Mountain ginseng has a saponin content equivalent to Korean ginseng, 1/3 of Ngoc Linh ginseng and has a "softer" price, suitable for the general public.

The biggest difficulty for Ms. Dung at that time was the output. Consumers at that time were still cautious and did not really trust domestic products, because they were familiar with big names like Korean ginseng or Ngoc Linh ginseng (Central region). Changing consumer habits, especially with a relatively new type of ginseng like Danh mountain ginseng, required not only quality, but also time and trust.

Recalling the early days, Ms. Dung shared: "When there were not many ginseng plants, when bringing the product to trade promotion fairs to promote, I encountered skepticism from consumers. Because they did not know what Danh mountain ginseng was and what its quality was. There were times when I cried because I devoted myself to doing things but could not gain their trust."

But fortunately, the cooperative was not alone. The involvement of authorities at all levels was an important boost. The cooperative rebuilt the farming process, applied for a safe production area, issued a food safety certificate, and as a result, in 2022, the products were granted VietGap certification, organic certification for the growing area, and the products were granted 4-star OCOP.

Sister members harvest ginseng flowers

The product began to be selected as an official gift of the province, district, and commune, and many trade promotion and market connection programs were organized periodically. The Board of Directors of the Cooperative also persevered step by step, bringing ginseng to all fairs, forums, and exhibitions to introduce and promote.

In particular, thanks to the local advantage of having the spiritual and ecological tourist destination of Danh Mountain, the cooperative has taken advantage of the opportunity to approach pilgrims. Groups coming to worship and burn incense often visit the ginseng growing area, helping the product to spread naturally from its birthplace.

Green future of red land

Years ago, when Lien Chung was still a poor agricultural commune of Tan Yen district, since the development of Danh mountain ginseng, many households and members of the cooperative had an annual income of hundreds of millions of dong. All came from selling seedlings, selling ginseng flowers, and even ginseng leaves were used as animal feed, bringing income to ginseng growers.

Joy of a bountiful harvest

The cooperative also creates livelihoods for poor women who do not have money to invest in production. The cooperative will connect to provide seedlings on credit and purchase output products to help women feel secure in production.

As a result, the cooperative won the first prize at the regional level in the "Women's Entrepreneurship, Promoting Local Resources" contest and the second prize at the national final organized by the Vietnam Women's Union in 2023. From the initial small model, Ms. Dung's cooperative has created stable jobs for more than 150 regular workers and 300 - 500 seasonal workers. Each day's wages are 300 - 400 thousand VND, a fairly high income for rural workers.

Currently, the Cooperative is expanding research and processing into many diverse and convenient ginseng products for consumers such as ginseng wine, liver tonic and is coordinating to bring products to supermarket chains and gifts in Bac Giang province.

Ms. Dung always believes that quality is the foundation of the brand, the most sustainable trust. The cooperative focuses on seed areas, selects the best trees, and issues QR codes for each batch of products. With support from authorities at all levels and the Women's Union, her cooperative has been granted the right to use the geographical indication brand "Nui Danh".

Ginseng products of Danh Mountain Ginseng Cooperative

"Thanks to the government's support in promoting trade, machinery, accounting training, and farming techniques. The Women's Union at all levels helps with management training, preferential financial connections, and motivates women to own economic models, so the cooperative's products have a solid position in the market," Ms. Dung said.

"If we want women's cooperatives to develop and go far, we need to create an environment where women can confidently operate, receive proper training, and be given opportunities and long-term support policies," Ms. Dung emphasized.

Contact: Dan Mountain Ginseng Cooperative

- Established: 2020

- Labor: 150 regular, 300-500 seasonal

- Product: 4-star OCOP, VietGAP certified, organic

- Orientation: Deep processing - expanding supermarket market - local gifts

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/nu-giam-doc-khoi-nghiep-tu-cay-giu-nha-20250507151634953.htm