The province's western region, with nearly 650,000 hectares of forest, is seen as having strong potential to develop large-scale medicinal plant material zones due to its forest resources, genetic diversity and distinctive ecological conditions.
Of the region's forest area, nearly 478,000 hectares are natural forest and more than 158,000 hectares are planted forest.
Kbang previously had more than 130,000 hectares of forestry land, much of which is located within the Kon Hà Nừng Plateau World Biosphere Reserve.
Kon Ka Kinh National Park, spanning the communes of Krong, Đak Rong, Đak Sơmei and Ayun, has recorded about 305 medicinal plant species.
Some 75 rare and valuable species have been catalogued and assigned QR codes, while about eight to 10 species are listed in the Vietnam Red Data Book and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
About 30 species have commercial exploitation potential, with estimated reserves of 10-20 tonnes a year. Lesser galangal, jiaogulan and black ginger are among the high-value species that have been studied, mapped and propagated.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Gia Lai currently has about 1,500 hectares devoted to medicinal plants, including 270.6 hectares under forest canopies and about 1,228 hectares on agricultural land.
The province also has three GMP-certified medicinal plant production facilities and three processing facilities, while annual demand for medicinal plant raw materials stands at about 15,000 tonnes.
In the communes of Sơn Lang, Đak Rong and Krong, authorities are promoting medicinal plant cultivation under forest canopies alongside eco-tourism, community-based tourism and forest-based economies. Several enterprises have already begun participating in these initiatives.
Nguyễn Hữu Hà, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology, said science and technology must serve as the foundation for developing Gia Lai's medicinal plant sector, alongside stronger connections and efforts to attract intellectual resources.
The approach is consistent with the agricultural sector's shift towards higher quality, greater added value and deeper integration into production chains.
A model cultivating red reishi mushrooms under acacia canopies at the foot of Núi Cờ in Ia Phí commune illustrates the potential.
Since 2020, Minh Khánh Gia Lai Co., Ltd. of Đức Cơ commune has worked with Vos Five A Microbiological Agroforestry Co., Ltd. of Đak Đoa commune and Núi Cờ Agricultural Service Cooperative in Ia Phí commune on pilot cultivation.
Nguyễn Công Hiệu, director of Minh Khánh Gia Lai Co., Ltd., said several years of trials showed that acacia canopies provided suitable temperature, humidity and soil conditions for the mushrooms. The canopies also suppress weeds, reduce cultivation costs and add nutrients to the soil as leaves decompose.
The survival rate of mushroom spawn is about 98%, with harvesting beginning after three to four months and multiple harvests possible each year.
Each hectare of acacia forest can accommodate about 20,000 bags of mushroom spawn. Each bag can produce 2-2.2 kg of mushrooms a year, depending on cultivation techniques and care.
The mushrooms sell for between 500,000 and 1 million VND ($19-$38) per kilogram, depending on quality and timing.
The model is designed to increase the value generated from existing planted forests while connecting enterprises, cooperatives and local residents through the supply of spawn, technical support and product consumption.
Nguyễn Văn Hoan, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said medicinal plant development must be carried out across the entire chain, from planning and genetic resource conservation to cultivation, processing and consumption.
The province is focusing on establishing cultivation zones, conserving valuable medicinal species, transferring technology and expanding production areas that meet required standards.
The target is to exceed 7,486 hectares by 2030 through cooperation among four key stakeholders: the State, scientists, enterprises and farmers.
Enterprises are expected to participate from the early stages, including the selection of plant species, cultivation areas and varieties, as well as technology adoption, purchasing contracts, processing and market development.
Trường Sinh International Science Development Co., Ltd., based at Trà Đa Industrial Park in Pleiku ward, is one of the enterprises involved. The company currently uses about 15,000 tonnes of medicinal plants a year to produce more than 200 products.
It is among the few enterprises in the Central and Central Highlands regions that meet GMP-WHO standards for producing traditional medicines and health supplements.
Phan Thanh Thiên, the company's general director, said Trường Sinh had recently signed an agreement with the Institute of Medicinal Materials to survey, assess and select cultivation areas and research medicinal plants under forest canopies, with priority given to feasible native species.
The company plans to support the process from seedlings, cultivation and harvesting to preliminary processing and connections with processing facilities.
In 2026, Trường Sinh plans to invest an additional 500 billion VND ($19.0 million) to develop 850 hectares of medicinal plant material zones under forest canopies in Gia Lai.
At a mid-2026 working session with six communes, Kbang, Kông Bơ La, Tơ Tung, Sơn Lang, Đak Rong and Krong, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Phạm Anh Tuấn highlighted the potential for developing medicinal plants under forest canopies.
He called on localities to establish sustainable value-chain links between residents and enterprises with the capital, technology, processing and market capacity needed to develop the sector.
He also urged authorities to integrate under-canopy cultivation into complete value chains and avoid fragmented, small-scale household production.
The strategy is beginning to take shape through investment projects. In Đak Rong commune, Trường Sinh International Science Development Co., Ltd. is developing projects for medicinal plants under forest canopies and Ngọc Linh ginseng.
Quang Huy Medicinal Materials JSC of Diên Hồng ward is also researching medicinal plant cultivation under forest canopies in combination with eco-tourism, alongside other initiatives.