Vietnam's great potential in exporting herbs for medicinal usesremains largely untapped, as mass imports of cheap products have leftthe industry stagnant, according to speakers at a conference held byVietnam Material Medical Society (VIMAMES) last Friday.
The conference was organised to offer information to help local herbalists and farmers hone their competitive edge.
VIMAMES secretary Ta Ngoc Dung, Denmark's Global Competition Fund(GCF)'s representative Tran Huong Giang, and 64 representatives frombusinesses that sell herbal products attended the event.
Although Vietnam has soil and climate advantageous to plant andprocess herbal products, the industry has not grown in recent years.
"Vietnam once exported medicinal herbs and herbal medicine, mainlythe Golden Star Balm. It brought an important source of foreign currencyto the public health branch," Dung said.
In recent years,Vietnam had become a medicinal herb importer, he said, adding that90 percent of medicinal herbs were imported.
Inadequate management and mass imports of inexpensive herbs.
Dung appealed to the association of herb farmers, herbal productcompanies, VIMAMES, social-professional organisations, scientists andauthorities to revive the national medicinal herb industry.
Under an instruction from the Ministry of Health, VIMAMES has beencarrying out a test project on a Vietnam herbal production line(HERBA-V) to enforce World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on goodagricultural and collection practices (GACP).
The plantingand processing techniques will have to meet export requirements. Theproject will help farmers develop trade names for products.
During the conference, Tran Huong Giang of the GCG, which is funded bythe Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA), spoke aboutthe targets set for several projects.
In five years of implementation, the GCF has given funds to 93 projects in four provinces in Vietnam .
A total of 135 billion VND (6.9 million USD) has been granted toimprove the competitiveness of the private sector by improving access toinformation, business services and internet representation.
They include five projects on business initiatives and national trade,31 involving business associations, and 57 business-development serviceproviders.
The project on assisting and training farmersto plant Gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinnensis) was carried out by theVietnam Plant Oil and Food Processing Company (VNPOFOOD) with thesupport of the GCF.
Products from Gac oil used to treat diabetes and hepatitis are certified by the Ministry of Health and exported worldwide.
Giang also announced that DADIDA had approved a business sector supportprogramme with total fund of 422 billion VND in the 2011 – 13 period.
The programme is waiting for approval from the Vietnamese Government, and should be implemented in January.
Of that total figure, the GCF will fund 216 billion VND to help companies including firms operating in medicinal plants.
Eight localities that benefit from the GCF are Nghe An, Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak, An Giang, Thanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Lam Dong and Can Tho./.
The conference was organised to offer information to help local herbalists and farmers hone their competitive edge.
VIMAMES secretary Ta Ngoc Dung, Denmark's Global Competition Fund(GCF)'s representative Tran Huong Giang, and 64 representatives frombusinesses that sell herbal products attended the event.
Although Vietnam has soil and climate advantageous to plant andprocess herbal products, the industry has not grown in recent years.
"Vietnam once exported medicinal herbs and herbal medicine, mainlythe Golden Star Balm. It brought an important source of foreign currencyto the public health branch," Dung said.
In recent years,Vietnam had become a medicinal herb importer, he said, adding that90 percent of medicinal herbs were imported.
Inadequate management and mass imports of inexpensive herbs.
Dung appealed to the association of herb farmers, herbal productcompanies, VIMAMES, social-professional organisations, scientists andauthorities to revive the national medicinal herb industry.
Under an instruction from the Ministry of Health, VIMAMES has beencarrying out a test project on a Vietnam herbal production line(HERBA-V) to enforce World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on goodagricultural and collection practices (GACP).
The plantingand processing techniques will have to meet export requirements. Theproject will help farmers develop trade names for products.
During the conference, Tran Huong Giang of the GCG, which is funded bythe Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA), spoke aboutthe targets set for several projects.
In five years of implementation, the GCF has given funds to 93 projects in four provinces in Vietnam .
A total of 135 billion VND (6.9 million USD) has been granted toimprove the competitiveness of the private sector by improving access toinformation, business services and internet representation.
They include five projects on business initiatives and national trade,31 involving business associations, and 57 business-development serviceproviders.
The project on assisting and training farmersto plant Gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinnensis) was carried out by theVietnam Plant Oil and Food Processing Company (VNPOFOOD) with thesupport of the GCF.
Products from Gac oil used to treat diabetes and hepatitis are certified by the Ministry of Health and exported worldwide.
Giang also announced that DADIDA had approved a business sector supportprogramme with total fund of 422 billion VND in the 2011 – 13 period.
The programme is waiting for approval from the Vietnamese Government, and should be implemented in January.
Of that total figure, the GCF will fund 216 billion VND to help companies including firms operating in medicinal plants.
Eight localities that benefit from the GCF are Nghe An, Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak, An Giang, Thanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Lam Dong and Can Tho./.
