Transforming the wild yam into a specialty fruit.

Currently, people in the province are actively harvesting macadamia nuts to sell to traders and macadamia nut purchasing facilities for preliminary processing. This has contributed to diversifying products, increasing their value, and boosting income for local people.

People in Binh Gia commune dry the mac mat fruit.

With its unique climate and soil characteristics, Lang Son's mac mat fruit has a distinctive flavor unlike anywhere else. It is also an indispensable ingredient in the culinary culture of the ethnic groups in Lang Son. According to statistics, the province currently has about 350 hectares of mac mat trees, mainly grown by people at the foot of limestone mountains, concentrated in the communes of Na Sam, Van Quan, Binh Gia, etc. Annually, the mac mat fruit yield reaches 4,000 to 5,000 tons.

Besides using fresh fruit in culinary preparations, to contribute to increasing its value and creating a stable market for mac mat fruit, in recent times, some establishments and cooperatives in the province have linked up to purchase mac mat fruit for preliminary processing and manufacturing into a variety of products for long-term preservation.

Ms. Vuong Thi Thuong, Director of Toan Thuong Agricultural Products Cooperative, Zone 5, Na Sam Commune, said: "For about 6 years now, I have been buying macadamia nuts from people in the communes of Na Sam, Hoang Van Thu, Van Quan, etc., every year. From 2023 to the present, the cooperative has purchased an average of over 120 tons of fresh macadamia nuts from the people each year. This year's macadamia harvest started around mid-June, and so far we have purchased over 60 tons of fresh fruit at prices ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 VND/kg. The macadamia harvest only lasts about 2 months, so to preserve it for long-term use and transport it over long distances, the cooperative has processed it into products such as dried macadamia nuts and dried macadamia nuts. In addition, to enhance the value of macadamia nuts, this year the cooperative has also researched and launched a chewy dried macadamia nut product with the main ingredients being macadamia nuts, ginger, and honey."

Not only at Toan Thuong Agricultural Products Cooperative, but for the past four years, Tran Quy Cooperative in Van Quan commune has also been purchasing fresh macadamia nuts from people in the communes of Van Quan, Diem He, Yen Phuc, etc., for processing. Ms. Luong Thi No, Director of the Cooperative, said: Depending on customer demand for dried macadamia nuts, the Cooperative will purchase fresh fruit from people to dry or dehydrate. On average, the Cooperative purchases 20 to 30 tons of fresh fruit each year, with some years seeing purchases exceeding 40 tons. Since the beginning of the season, the Cooperative has purchased over 12 tons of fresh fruit for drying. Currently, the Cooperative is continuing to cooperate with specialized units to complete the dossier to develop the Cooperative's dried macadamia nut product into an OCOP (One Commune One Product) product by 2025 as planned.

According to preliminary statistics, the province currently has nearly 10 cooperatives and purchasing facilities that buy fresh macadamia nuts from local people for processing and use as a spice ingredient in characteristic Lang Son cuisine. These cooperatives and purchasing facilities, in addition to using fresh fruit as a spice for characteristic dishes, also process and produce a variety of products such as: dried macadamia nuts, salted macadamia nuts, chewy dried macadamia nuts, dried macadamia nuts, macadamia nuts with ginger and honey, etc., each with its own unique flavor. Furthermore, some households also proactively dry the nuts after harvesting to sell to purchasing facilities. The processing and diversification of products has helped macadamia growers have a stable market outlet; contributing to increasing the value of macadamia nuts by 5 to 7% compared to selling them fresh.

Mr. Pham Tuyen, Head of the Quality, Processing and Market Development Department of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: Mac mat fruit is a characteristic crop of the province and has been granted geographical indication registration. Along with brand protection, promoting preliminary processing, processing, and product diversification not only increases value but also promotes the formation of concentrated production areas. In the coming time, the Department of Agriculture and Environment will organize training on food safety and hygiene and provide guidance to cooperatives and processing facilities of mac mat fruit; strengthen support for connecting, promoting, and introducing products processed from mac mat fruit...

It is evident that investment in the preliminary processing and manufacturing of macadamia nuts, as well as other characteristic agricultural products of the province, has yielded certain positive results. However, compared to the province's potential and strengths, the number of preliminary processing and manufacturing facilities is still limited and does not meet the requirements. It is suggested that in the future, relevant authorities and agencies should continue to pay attention to, promote, support, and attract units and businesses to invest in agricultural product processing, including macadamia nuts, a very distinctive product of Lang Son province, thereby contributing to increasing the value of agricultural production.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/nang-gia-tri-qua-mac-mat-5053262.html