The dream of exporting medicinal herbal oils of the village girls from the hillside region

Starting from a small-scale medicinal essential oil production, Ms. Tran Thi Nhu Oanh (from Ly Nam commune, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh) has expanded and established the Nhu Oanh Essential Oil Cooperative (Nhu Oanh EO Cooperative). With the goal of producing high-quality essential oils for export, the Nhu Oanh Essential Oil Cooperative has built a comprehensive supply chain, linking the processes from seedling production, cultivation, to the extraction and manufacturing of essential oils.

Over six years ago, Ms. Tran Thi Nhu Oanh, driven by a strong will to create wealth from products she personally crafted in her homeland, the hilly region, began her journey. "In the beginning, I often visited essential oil production facilities to learn and figure out how to develop my own method", she shared with passion.

At first, she focused on growing medicinal plants such as lemongrass, which she harvested to extract essential oils. Later, she was supported to set up a model for cultivating other medicinal plants, including the tea tree (small-leaf eucalyptus) and five-vein eucalyptus (large-leaf eucalyptus), both of which were imported from Australia.

According to Ms. Nhu Oanh, the eucalyptus trees grow rapidly in the hilly areas, thriving and flourishing, and after just one year of planting, the leaves are ready to be harvested for essential oil distillation. "The following year, I decided to establish the Nhu Oanh Essential Oil Cooperative to expand production and develop the brand", Ms. Nhu Oanh explained.

With the help of crop specialists, Ms. Nhu Oanh boldly ventured into the propagation of various plant species, such as eucalyptus and myrtle, to supply high-quality seedlings to the market. After multiple setbacks and challenges, the cooperative succeeded in mastering the technique of propagating seedlings through cutting. Now, the cooperative annually produces and supplies over 300.000 eucalyptus seedlings to the domestic market.

At present, the Nhu Oanh Essential Oil Cooperative has formed partnerships with local households to expand its raw material production area. This collaboration involves supplying eucalyptus seedlings and purchasing eucalyptus branches and leaves, covering a total area of more than 60 hectares. Each year, the cooperative produces and supplies approximately 300 kg of essential oils, including products like tea tree essential oil and lemongrass essential oil.

These products have been awarded the prestigious 3-star OCOP certification and are now being exported and sold in markets such as Laos, Thailand and Japan.

"Annually, our cooperative generates around 62.500 USD in revenue. We’ve attracted the interest of several foreign partners who are eager to collaborate with us in both product development and sourcing raw materials from our region", shared Nhu Oanh.

Looking ahead, the Nhu Oanh Essential Oil Cooperative plans to continue investing in high-tech machinery and equipment to enhance production capabilities. In parallel, they aim to further expand partnerships to increase the area of eucalyptus cultivation and meet the growing demand for quality seedlings.

"We are also exploring the potential of planting eucalyptus species in sandy hill areas, as these plants are extremely drought-tolerant and well-suited to sunny conditions. If our trials are successful, this could lead to the development of a substantial raw material region that would support the future expansion of production", Ms. Nhu Oanh explained.

According to Mr. Doan Ngoc Nhan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ly Nam Commune, the local authorities have implemented a plan for the development of the raw material area. They have been actively encouraging the growth of organizations and enterprises within the medicinal herb cultivation and production sector. These efforts aim to transform the products into high-quality commodities, with a focus on exporting them to international markets.

"The Nhu Oanh Essential Oil Cooperative has taken the lead in building a production linkage chain in the local area, successfully creating numerous high-quality products that have gained recognition in the market", stated Mr. Doan Ngoc Nhan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ly Nam Commune.