Ginseng Board of Wis. signs agreement with Chinese company

MADISON (WITI) -- The Ginseng Board of Wisconsin signed an agreement on Monday, April 15th with a Chinese medicine company to use the Trademark Seal on their purchases of Wisconsin ginseng from the Ginseng & Herb Coop over the next 10 years.  The agreement was signed between the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin, the Ginseng & Herb Coop, and the Beijing medicine company, Tong Ren Tang (TRT) Health Pharmaceutical.

Wisconsin produces virtually 100% of all cultivated American Ginseng in the United States.  The Ginseng Board of Wisconsin brand is registered in several Asian countries, including China, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

"We have the world's greatest ginseng here in Wisconsin.  It is one of the biggest fascinations the Chinese people have about any product that comes from the state of Wisconsin," Gov. Scott Walker said.

The Ginseng Board of Wisconsin and the Ginseng & Herb Coop started the relationship with TRT in 2009.  TRT sought out Wisconsin Ginseng because of its reputation for being the “gold standard” of Ginsengs in the world.

The Wisconsin Ginseng industry dates back to the 1890s.

Gov. Walker will spend the week meeting with top Chinese business and political leaders. China is Wisconsin's number one trading partner outside of North America.