He said the market, to be held every month between the 10th and 12th, would help boost the sale of local medical herbs, farm produce and forestry products, as well as improve the living standard of ethnic groups in the mountainous district.

“We will allocate the culture and sport centre in the district to display farm produce, ginseng and herbs at 20 pavilions. Villagers will bring their products to introduce and sell at the market under strict control of quality and brand,” Buu said.

Ngoc Linh ginseng, grown both in Nam Tra My District in Quang Nam and Kon Tum Province in the Central Highlands, has been designated a national brand.

Earlier this year, the district introduced the first ever Ngoc Linh ginseng and medical herbs centre in Tra Mai Commune as a major source of seed and saplings.

The district plans to develop 15,000ha of ginseng farm in seven mountain communes by 2030. According to district authorities, more than 42,000ha of primary forests have been well preserved in development of the ginseng and native herbs.

National brand: Farmers grow Ngoc Linh ginseng on a mountain farm in Nam Tra My District of Quang Nam Province. The district plans to hold regular monthly Ngoc Linh ginseng markets starting in September. Photos:VNS

Quang Nam also plans to invest in infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, essential oils and cosmetics, as well as tonic drinks and capsules from ginseng in the district.

In 2015, Nam Tra My District and Hamyang County in South Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on tourism, agriculture, conservation and the development of Ngoc Linh ginseng.

In 2016, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Intellectual Property Agency of Viet Nam recognised the Geographical Indication (GI) of "Ngoc Linh" for ginseng root products from Quang Nam and Kon Tum.

Last year, seven investors agreed to invest $221 million to farm ginseng and process plants of essential oils, cosmetics, tonic drinks and capsules from ginseng in the district.

Quang Nam has listed the Ngoc Linh ginseng as one of eight precious and endangered flora genes, that also include Ba Kich (poor man’s ginseng), pepper, cinnamon, large-size rattan and white maize in the provincial conservation programme for 2014-20.

More than 200kg of ginseng root were sold at the first Ngoc Linh Ginseng Festival in the district in June, earning VND12.5 billion (US$553,000).

                                                                                                                                             NDO