Sinh Duoc Cooperative - Promoting the role of traditional medicine

Sinh Duoc Cooperative has only been established since 2014, but thanks to exploiting the value of traditional medicine and local strengths, it has contributed to promoting the development of the agricultural industry in Ninh Binh in a sustainable way.

Natural herbal garden of Sinh Duoc Cooperative in Bai Dinh mountain area

Currently, although Western medicine is becoming more and more popular, people in Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district still transmit therapies using natural herbs to support the prevention and effective treatment of a number of benign diseases. Trinh Thi Ly, Deputy Director of Sinh Duoc Cooperative revealed, Gia Vien district not only gathers many scenic spots, cultural heritages bearing historical imprints such as Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, Temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang, Temple of Princess Ngoc Quang, etc. but also famous for Bai Dinh mountain, an area where countless natural herbs exist, dubbed the land of "Binh Duoc" (ie where medicinal plants live).

An Thai herbal tea product then of Sinh Duoc Cooperative

As a woman living in the sacred mountains, Ms. Ly and her relatives in Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district are always concerned with the responsibility of conserving rare and precious natural medicinal herbs. Therefore, she and her husband, Mr. Vu Trung Duc, gathered many households to establish Sinh Duoc Cooperative in order to organize the planting, harvesting and production of convenient, safe and healthy products. Prominent among them are foot bath salt, An Thai tea, Bo De leaf painting.

Representing 3 typical product groups that the cooperative wishes to target: pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, handicrafts. These are all quality products that have received 4-star OCOP certification from the One Commune One Product Program in Ninh Binh Province in 2021.

Sinh Duoc Cooperative - A new direction

Raw materials for processing An Thai tea of Sinh Duoc Cooperative include leaves, flowers and branches of honeysuckle. According to folklore, honeysuckle is considered a panacea in Eastern medicine to help treat skin diseases, detoxify, and reduce itching. In particular, most people in Gia Sinh commune believe that honeysuckle is in the remedy of "turning a tiger" by Zen master Nguyen Minh Khong.

Herbal salt products of Sinh Duoc Cooperative Use salt to soak your feet to help relieve joint pain, comfort, and improve sleep.

In addition, in order to increase the optimality of medicinal herbs, the cooperative also combines with many other natural herbs such as mint, stevia. Besides tea products, for foot bath salt products, in addition to the main ingredient is mineral salt originating from Nam Dinh, Sinh Duoc Cooperative also soaked in a mixture of extracts of sage, sage, chrysanthemum, lemongrass and honeysuckle within 7 to 14 days. The concentrated high part after soaking has the effect of supporting the treatment of cold feet, aching joints, helping to refresh the mind and calm the nerves.

Workers of Sinh Duoc Cooperative make shapes on Bodhi leaves

In Gia Sinh commune, the Bodhi tree grows along the roads from Bai Dinh to Trang An, it can be said that there is no place in this land where the Bodhi tree is not found. It is thanks to the abundant source of raw materials and the strong love for Buddhism that people think of making use of the leaves of the sacred tree in creating art, turning it into a typical local item. To make paintings, the craftsman soaks carefully selected fresh leaves in lime water, uses a soft-bristled brush to remove the flesh, leaving only the skeleton for shaping. Painting time can range from 4-5 days or last several months depending on the size, color, and overall content.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visits members of Sinh Duoc Cooperative

At the time of its establishment (2014), the cooperative had only about 10 members, so far the above number has increased 6 times, and at the same time, the scale of labor in the raw material gardens and processing workshops is also nearly 25 people/unit. Accordingly, thanks to the expansion of business activities, the cooperative has brought a stable income for local people with a relatively high average salary compared to the common ground in rural areas (5.5 million/month). In November 2021, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc also selected Sinh Duoc Cooperative as one of two typical collective business models when visiting Ninh Binh province.

Not only promoting the potential of available materials, Sinh Duoc Cooperative also promotes the development of the agricultural industry in Ninh Binh, contributing to creating stable jobs for many households in the area. Recently, in the context of complicated epidemic developments, most local workers have returned to their homeland, causing a serious shortage of human resources. Sinh Duoc Cooperative still ensures a stable income for its members, helping them avoid the worry of doing business abroad, work with peace of mind and improve their income.

Quoc Hung (Translated by Nhat Huy)