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Canada’s significant investment on Ginseng research and production
Ontario is investing more than $6.9 million to support researchers at the University of Western Ontario to improve the cultivation and exploit the medicinal properties of Ontario-grown ginseng. The research project, entitled “New Technologies for Ginseng Agriculture and Product Development - Developing a unique Ontario ginseng variety”, will be led by Professor Edmund M. K. Lui of the University of Western Ontario. This is one of the two world-class projects funded under the Ontario Research Fund's Research Excellence program. The rest of the project cost ($13.85 million) will be covered by 10 industry and other participating partners.
Ginseng is divided into American and Panax (Asian) ginseng. Canada is the world's largest producer of North American ginseng, most of which comes from Ontario. Ginseng ranks as Ontario's fifth largest cash crop with total export value of $88 million. The province has over 220 growers and approximately 6,000 acres in production, harvesting almost 4 million pounds of ginseng per year.
Currently, most of this raw material is exported to other countries where it is made into more valuable health products. The goal of this research project is to study ways to find new applications and keep that value-added business in Ontario. Through a dynamic collaboration between academia, government and industry, the entire value chain from ginseng cultivation, processing to export will work together to enhance the quality, safety and therapeutic properties of Ontario-grown crops, hence maximising their economic value.
The new research network will be centred at The University of Western Ontario and bring together researchers from a number of universities (McMaster, Guelph, Ottawa and Toronto) with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Ontario Ginseng Growers Association and the natural health product industry. Dr. Lui, the Lead Researcher, is an outstanding academic researcher in herbal medicine. He has also been actively involved in academic exchange and collaboration with Mainland China and Hong Kong.
Source:
Ministry of Research and Innovation, Ontario, Canada
http://www.mri.gov.on.ca
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