Returning to Ca Nang commune, Quynh Nhai district this time, we see many changes. From a particularly disadvantaged commune with over 60% of households living in poverty, the lives of the people have improved significantly, the poverty rate has decreased to 11.1%, and the commune has achieved 14 out of 19 criteria for new rural development.
Members of Nhan Thuan Cooperative, Ca Nang commune, Quynh Nhai district, exchange techniques for growing Centella asiatica.
Ms. Hoang Thi Doan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune, informed: In the early years after the resettlement of people displaced by the Son La hydropower project, due to the fact that most of the agricultural land was located in the flooded area, the people faced many difficulties in production. With the determination not to rely on government support, the commune's Party committee and government coordinated with specialized agencies of the district to promote propaganda and mobilize the people to change the structure of crops and livestock, especially exploiting the potential of the lake surface for aquaculture and focusing on managing, protecting, and developing forests.
Currently, Ca Nang is one of the communes with the largest forest area in Quynh Nhai district, with 10,664 hectares of natural forest, and a forest cover rate of over 64%. For many years, Ca Nang has been a shining example in forest management, protection, and development. Annually, the commune cooperates with the District Forest Protection Department to review and determine the boundaries of planned agricultural and forestry land areas to guide people in cultivation and implement sustainable forestry development programs.
In 2024, Ca Nang had over 7,000 hectares of forest eligible for environmental services, including 7 community forest owners who received 3.578 billion VND in forest environmental service payments. The commune coordinated with the District Forest Management Unit and the Thuan Chau - Quynh Nhai Branch of the Forest Protection and Development Fund to guide and supervise the use of forest environmental service funds in accordance with the approved regulations.
According to Mr. Ha Trong Tai, a local forest ranger: The management boards of the villages, the forest protection teams, and the forest rangers regularly disseminate and publicize legal regulations on forest protection and fire prevention. For many years, the entire area of natural forest in Ca Nang has been well protected and developed, not only creating additional livelihoods from forestry, but also enabling the villages to build infrastructure serving the lives and production of the people. Currently, all 7 villages have concrete roads and lighting systems built with revenue from forest environmental services.
To effectively exploit the potential and develop the forest economy, in 2020, the commune established the Nhan Thuan Cooperative in Pa Lo village with 11 members, specializing in growing medicinal plants under the forest canopy. Mr. Lo Van Chau, Director of the Cooperative, shared: After visiting several provinces and surveying the market demand for medicinal plants, with the support of the commune government and the village management board, the Cooperative invested in a trial planting of 3 hectares of *Khoi Nhung* and *Thien Nien Kien* under the forest canopy. In 2022, they harvested about 400 kg of dried *Khoi Nhung* leaves, selling for 100,000-150,000 VND/kg; by 2023, they harvested 800 kg of dried *Thien Nien Kien* roots, selling for 40,000 VND/kg. To date, the Cooperative has grown to 21 members and expanded its area to 50 hectares in various villages, mainly growing *Thien Nien Kien*.
Leading us into the cooperative's medicinal plant cultivation area, under the humid forest canopy covered in the green of the *Centella asiatica* plant, Mr. Chau explained that this is a perennial plant whose stem is the tuber located underground, growing rapidly in areas with high humidity and rich humus. *Centella asiatica* is harvested in spring and autumn, and the medicinal part is the tuber and mature roots.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, *Centella asiatica* (Centella asiatica) is used to relieve rheumatism, strengthen tendons and bones, and treat lower back pain, knee pain, joint swelling, and leg cramps and numbness. Because it is a naturally occurring plant, once planted, only a portion of the tuber needs to be left underground after harvesting for the plant to regrow. As for *Rhizoma Coptidis* (Centella asiatica), it is a valuable medicinal herb used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat stomach and duodenal ulcers, allergies, hives, and itching.
Currently, Nhan Thuan Cooperative is focusing on cultivating seedlings and collaborating with households in the commune to expand the planted area. Once the products are ready, the cooperative will purchase them. According to calculations, from the third year onwards, each hectare of velvet leaf and *Centella asiatica* plants will yield an income of over 100 million VND after deducting expenses.
The goal is for Ca Nang commune to achieve the new rural standard by the end of this year. Currently, along with mobilizing people to focus on intensive cultivation of 610 hectares of food crops and other crops on the hillside, raising over 3,000 head of livestock, and raising 40 fish cages in the Son La hydroelectric reservoir, the commune government is directing villages to use a portion of the forest environmental service fees to support seedlings for people to expand the area of medicinal plant cultivation under the forest canopy. At the same time, it is coordinating with specialized agencies and businesses to guide cooperatives and people in processing, preserving, and linking the consumption of products.
Ngoc Thuan