“Golden seeds” of the great forest
From August to October every year, people in the ginseng regions of Kon Tum and Quang Nam begin to harvest Ngoc Linh ginseng seeds. Unlike other common medicinal plants, Ngoc Linh ginseng is not harvested by weight, but by seed. And each seed is calculated in hundreds of dong.
“Each fruit usually has only 1 to 2 seeds. I pick the whole bunch, peel the fruit, take out the seeds, dry them lightly, then count each seed and sell them to traders. Last year, the price was up to 150,000 VND/seed, while the normal type was about 70,000 - 100,000 VND,” said Mr. A Vuong (a Xe Dang ethnic, growing ginseng in Mang Ri commune, Tu Mo Rong District, Kon Tum).
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| Super rare Vietnamese Ngoc Linh ginseng seeds. |
It is estimated that one kilogram of ginseng seeds has about 1,600 to 2,000 seeds, equivalent to a market value of 200 - 240 million VND/kg. That is why ginseng growers still say to each other: "Count the seeds to know how many millions you will earn today."
The "unbelievable" value of Ngoc Linh ginseng seeds comes from three factors: rarity, difficulty in breeding, and outstanding economic and medical value.
First, Ngoc Linh ginseng does not always flower and bear fruit. It can only flower from the 5th year onwards, and the fruit-setting rate is very low, only about 20-30% of the total number of mature plants. Each fruit has only a few seeds, which are hand-picked in forests or gardens grown at an altitude of 1,500-2,000m, where the climate and soil are extremely harsh.
Second, the germination rate of the seeds is extremely low – only about 30–40% without proper seed incubation techniques. The seeds must be properly treated, incubated in a stable, cool, humid environment, protected from fungi and insects, and take 3–5 months to begin germinating. Therefore, facilities with experience in ginseng seed incubation are always willing to pay a high price to collect standard seeds from the original ginseng area.
| Ngoc Linh ginseng is grown on the mountain of the same name, in Kon Tum and Quang Nam. |
Third, the demand for seeds is increasing rapidly. Currently, the whole country has only two areas recognized as natural growing areas for Ngoc Linh ginseng - Tu Mo Rong district (Kon Tum) and Nam Tra My district (Quang Nam). While localities are expanding the growing area to hundreds of hectares, the annual seed output is only a few dozen kilograms, leading to the situation where ginseng seeds are always in a state of "supply not meeting demand".
Profitable assets from the ground
Unlike vegetable seeds, rice seeds - sown for food - Ngoc Linh ginseng seeds are considered a "green stock" that can generate profits after many years. From a small seed the size of a toothpick, farmers can grow a mature ginseng plant after 5 - 10 years, at which time the value of each root can be up to 30 - 200 million VND depending on age and weight.
Many households in Nam Tra My shared that in the past, ginseng seeds were kept for propagation in home gardens. But now, a significant portion is sold to serve large-scale plantations of enterprises and cooperatives. Some units even hire mountain climbers to pick ginseng just to get the seeds, accepting high prices to compete for good sources of seeds.
For many indigenous people, ginseng seeds are so precious that they are only used to “entrust the future” – to plant for their children or to exchange for large assets. “Some people buy motorbikes, some build houses after only a few years of growing ginseng and selling seeds,” said Ms. Ho Thi Mit (Ca Dong, Nam Tra My).
| Ngoc Linh ginseng seeds are very rare because the plant must be grown for at least four years to flower, each plant has only one flower branch containing very few seeds. |
Seeds for a green industry
Not only having economic value, ginseng seeds are also the key to expanding a potential industry: Vietnamese medicinal herbs. According to scientists, Ngoc Linh ginseng contains up to 52 types of saponins - precious active ingredients that have antioxidant, immune-boosting, anti-cancer, blood pressure-regulating and brain-improving effects.
The Ministry of Health has recognized Ngoc Linh ginseng as a "national medicinal herb", and is promoting propagation, conservation and controlled exploitation. Seed propagation is the most sustainable and natural way to expand ginseng growing areas without depleting natural resources.
Currently, some businesses have invested tens of billions of VND in ginseng seed nursery centers, working with local people to both develop growing areas and preserve the cultural value of precious medicinal plants.
It can be said that each Ngoc Linh ginseng seed is a precious “seed of life”, carrying within it the heritage of the Truong Son mountain range and nurturing the future of Vietnam’s agricultural and pharmaceutical industry. In the modern world, where people are rediscovering the value of nature and sustainability, a small seed can open up a whole green economy.
