Hundreds of millions of Vietnamdong (VND)/ hectare (ha) income
There are about 20 hecta of medicinal Indian mulberry in Son Dong district, in which, 03 production areas of 15 ha are concentrated in Yen Dinh, Thanh Luan, Thanh Son communes and Thanh Son town; the remaining area is scattered in Cam Dan, Que Son, An Lap, Vinh Khuong, Van Son and Tuan Mau communes.

Recently, numerous of households in the district have earned hundreds of millions of VND per crop from that kind of precious medicinal plant. Mr. La Van Quang's in Dong Chu hamlet, Yen Dinh commune is one of the typical examples. In 2011, the household was selected to participate in the pilot planting of medicinal Indian mulberry under the canopy of forest trees and fruit trees by the provincial FU. Accordingly, he was granted with  nearly 02 thousand seedlings, instructed and joined technical training, then planted them on 0.5 ha of hill land. The crops have been adapted to the local soils and climates, therefore, the survival rate is high with fast growth and development. Over 02 years later, Mr. Quang harvested the crops and earned 80 million VND. At the same time, he cutted the crop to expand the area to 03 hectares. Since then, many people have visited his model to learn experiences, ask for or buy the seedlings. In recent times, every household in Dong Chu hamlet have also had this medicinal variety.
Having just received a small merchant from Hai Duong province to visit the medicinal Indian mulberry garden being in the harvest period, Mr. Quang shared: “I am waiting for the reasonable price paid by the customers, then I will sell them all in order to continue with the tilling for the new crop. It is expected to collect 3-5 kilogram (kg) per tree at 150-180 thousand VND/kg; estimated to earned hundreds of millions of VND for 01 ha”.
Similarly, in the past few years, Mr. Nguyen Hai Dinh's household in Thanh Binh hamlet, Thanh Luan commune has also arised their income thanks to growing medicinal Indian mulberry. In early 2016, Mr. Dinh made a convert from one ha of ineffective lychee to the medicinal Idian mulberry planting. At the end of 2018, he harvested 4.000 roots, worth hundreds of millions of VND. With the capital, Mr. Dinh continued to invest in seedling nurseries to ensure quality seedlings for his production and supply for the people inside and outside the district.
Continuing with the model replication
According to Mr. La Van Doan, Vice- Chairman of the provincial FU, the medicinal Idian mulberry is highly adapted to the soils and climate of Son Dong highland district, which brings great economic efficiency. Based on the results, in 2016, the provincial People's Committee approved for the provincial FU to implement a science and technology project named "Studying on pilot plantation of medicinal Indian mulberry under the canopy of forest trees and fruit trees in West Yen Tu, Son Dong district". At the same time, the District People's Committee issued a specialized Resolution on growing medicinal Indian mulberry under the canopy of forest trees and fruit trees. The district has strived to plant 30 ha of medicinal Idian mulberry this quarter.
To present, under the framework the provincial FU’s project, 05 more hectares of areas have been expanded in Thanh Luan commune, Thanh Son town. In order to keep developing, the District People's Committee regularly organizes training and transfer of technical advances to farmers; orientation of shifting cultivation to suitable land areas. Especially, in Thanh Luan commune, a medicinal Indian mulberry growing cooperative group with 17 farmer members was established. Moreover, with the facilitation of the Medium Term Cooperation Program between the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and farmers’ organizations in Asia – Pacific (MTCP 2 program in Vietnam), implemented through Vietnam Farmers’ Union (VNFU) for capacity building of the cooperatives/cooperative group members on business planning, market research, marketing, policy advocacy, operation and management of cooperatives, cooperative groups..., it helps to raise their awareness on taking part in collective economy models, then increase their income and improve the life quality.
In the coming time, the district People’s Committee and the provincial FU will continue to support farmers in expanding their farming areas. Particularly, the provincial FU is concentrating on doing a nursery garden with a scale of  25,000 medicinal Idian mulberry seedlings per season in order to ensure the supply for farmers. It is expected that the nursery will be completed and put into operation this year.