From a barren hillside in Tho Dien village, Vu Quang commune, Ha Tinh Province, the 2-hectare plot owned by Phan Dang Vuong (born 1988) has undergone a striking transformation.

Once left idle or planted with low-yield acacia, the land is now covered with rows of purple ba kich - a medicinal plant often referred to as a “miracle herb”, opening up a promising new economic direction for the area.

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Phan Dang Vuong stands beside his family’s plot of land.

After years of working far from home, Vuong decided to return and build a livelihood on his family’s land. Faced with the reality of underutilized hills and low efficiency from traditional crops, he began searching for a new model that could unlock the land’s potential.

During a visit to a friend in northern Vietnam, he encountered thriving ba kich plantations. Impressed by the plant’s growth and value, he saw an opportunity to bring this medicinal crop to his hometown.

In October 2022, Vuong began turning his idea into reality. Determined to revive the barren hillside, he invested around VND600 million (US$24,000), partly borrowed from relatives, to rehabilitate more than 2 hectares of land. The area was cleared, leveled and planted with over 40,000 ba kich seedlings.

At the time, his decision was met with skepticism. The plant had never been cultivated locally, and the investment was considered significant. Even his family had doubts. But driven by the belief that “the harder it is, the more worth trying”, he pressed on.

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Mr. Vuong’s ba kich garden is ready for harvest after three years of cultivation. Purple ba kich is a valuable medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine.

According to Vuong, ba kich is not particularly difficult to grow, but achieving high yields requires careful attention at every stage, from seed selection and soil preparation to cultivation techniques. He follows a largely natural approach, minimizing chemical use and relying mainly on organic manure, supplemented with small amounts of NPK fertilizer when necessary.

In the early days, lacking experience, he spent most of his time on the hillside, closely monitoring soil moisture, plant growth and root development. Through persistence and proper care, the plants gradually took root, adapted well and developed steadily.

After more than three years, the first harvest began in late November 2025 and quickly found a market. On average, each plant produces roots weighing 1.5 to 2 kg, with some reaching up to 4 kg. With a density of around 20,000 plants per hectare, the model generates significantly higher returns than previous crops on the same land.

“So far, I have harvested about 4 sao and sold the roots for soaking in alcohol, earning around VND400 million (US$16,000). If I harvest the entire 2 hectares, total revenue could reach about VND4 billion (US$160,000),” Vuong said.

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Anh Vượng lắp thêm điều hoà nhiệt độ ở khu vực ngâm ủ rượu ba kích. 

He is currently hiring local workers for harvesting and selling fresh roots at prices ranging from VND100,000 to VND120,000 per kilogram (US$4 to US$5). Beyond selling raw products, he plans to expand into processing, particularly ba kich-infused liquor, to increase value and secure more stable market demand.

“Some traditional medicine shops have reached out to purchase ba kich for treatment purposes, but this segment is still limited because many people are not yet aware of my model. Most customers currently buy the roots to make herbal liquor. I hope the market will become more stable in the near future,” he added.

Tran Thi Hai, head of the economic department of Vu Quang commune, noted that Vuong’s startup model not only creates new livelihoods but also helps utilize abandoned hillside land more effectively, contributing to sustainable agricultural development.

“In the coming time, we will assess and consider expanding this model. If implemented on a larger scale, ba kich could become a key crop for increasing incomes and reducing poverty in the area,” she said.

Thien Luong