'Huanren ginseng' goes global, grows market

"We will also strengthen cooperation with universities and research institutions, establishing long-term mechanisms for talent cultivation and recruitment," he said.

With an annual production of about 30 metric tons of dried ginseng, Huanren now accounts for over 70 percent of China's total forest-grown ginseng output, said the county government.

As the local ginseng industry flourishes, so do export markets in over 20 countries and regions.

"I've been in the ginseng business since I was 16, and it's happy to see that more than 40 years later, our products are sold globally — in Southeast Asia, Europe and other global markets," said Wang Xingren, chairman of Liaoning Longshen Health Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, and Chen's business partner. "I hope to continue bringing our forest-grown ginseng from Huanren to the rest of the world."

According to data from market consultancy YH Research, the global ginseng market was valued at 46.6 billion yuan in 2022 and is expected to continue its steady growth, reaching 89.6 billion yuan by 2029, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 9.6 percent over the next six years.

"As a typical representative of both medicinal and edible products, ginseng is widely used in overseas markets such as Japan," said Ma Ji, deputy director of the Japanese-Chinese Medicine Health Association. "I hope to witness more academic exchanges between China and Japan in the TCM sector, creating more opportunities for the development of ginseng in overseas markets."