Feature: Young Vietnamese visionary quits job to grow medicinal plants, sees life change

Before I started growing medicinal plants, I had experienced a variety of jobs. I was a mechanic but I couldn't continue with that. After that, I opened a company making bottled water, but that failed,"Nguyen Ngoc Tu, a young director of a company growing medicinal plants in northern Vietnam, told Xinhua as his story began to take shape. "During 2008-2010, I turned to growing medicinal plants,"said the 35-year-old director of Sao Viet company in Vietnam's Tam Dao district in northern Vinh Phuc province, some 40 km north of capital Hanoi, adding that he was inspired by his grandfather and uncle who work in medicinal field. "I have planted medicinal plants from 2008 till now. Since 2010, I have increased the number of medicinal plants. I have faced many difficulties in developing my career, but thanks to the support of friends, the local authorities and other organizations, so far, I have developed my garden with some 200 kinds of medicinal plants," Tu said. "Since then, the economic situation of my family has changed positively, creating jobs for local residents,"Tu said, adding that after each contract, he can earn some 300-400 million Vietnamese dong(between 13,800-18,500 U.S. dollars), and sometimes even up to 700 million Vietnamese dong (about 32,400 U.S. dollars). "My business is running well. I have contracts to grow Camellia euphlebia Merr ex Sealy (a species of plant with medical constituents that have potent anticancer properties), Polyscias fruticosa (a species of plant which can be used as a tonic, anti- inflammatory,antitoxin, antibacterial ointment, diuretic, febrifuge,anti-dysentery, and for neuralgia and rheumatic pains), Solanum hainanense Hance (a species of plant used in the treatment of liver-related diseases) and Codonopsis pilosula (or dang shen, a kind of ginseng). There is a lots of work to do,"Tu told Xinhua.

Tu has a 2,000-square-meter garden in his house to grow seedlings and sample plants for customers, as well as two pieces of land with an area of 3,600 square meters each to grow specific medicinal plants for contracts.

Tu said in the future, he will expand his business to other precious kinds of medicinal plants, which originate in Tam Dao, and import some new kinds of medicinal plants from other countries, including China.

Tu often goes to Vietnam's northern border province of Lang Son to seek the help of his friends to look for medicinal plant seedlings from neighboring countries. "I have bought Panax Pseudo-Ginseng, and other ginseng species from China's Jilin. They are still under research. If successful, I will develop and increase the growing scale. I am also developing the Camellia euphlebia Merr ex Sealy plant."

In addition to local customers, Tu also sells his medicinal plants to China."Chinese businesses come to my garden two or three times a year to buy medicinal plants,"Tu said. "I heard that China is developing an initiative to connect countries in the region to boost trade. I totally support the idea. " "I hope to have more chance to develop my business through the initiative, which is expected to contribute to developing the rural economy in Vietnam, then helping to reduce poverty and eliminate hunger in my hometown,"said the young director. Endi