Angelica medicinal plant on Thuy Loi land

With advantages such as easy to grow, easy to care for, few harmful pests... recently, many farming households in Thuy Loi commune (Tien Lu) have cultivated the medicinal plant Angelica dahurica, bringing high income.

In Oriental medicine, Angelica dahurica is also known as Bach Chieu, Chi Huong... is a popular medicinal herb with the effects of pain relief, dispelling wind and dampness, clearing the airways, reducing swelling and eliminating pus... The part used as medicine is the root, which is yellow or light brown in color.

Farmers in Thuy Loi commune harvest angelica

These days, taking advantage of the sunny weather, Mr. Nguyen Van Huong in Le Chi village mobilized 3 more people to harvest angelica in the field. Quickly hoeing the soil, collecting the roots that fell all over the field, Mr. Huong excitedly said: My family has been growing this plant for many years on an area of 4 sao of rice fields. Last year, traders came to my house to buy it at 68,000 VND/kg of dry rice. This year, the weather is relatively favorable so the yield is guaranteed, if the price is stable like last year, each sao will bring in a profit of over 10 million VND.

According to households growing angelica in Thuy Loi commune, this medicinal plant has been "fated" with the land here for more than 10 years. Up to now, the planting area in the commune is over 10 hectares, mainly concentrated in the two villages of Le Chi and Thuy Duong. Households in the commune often take advantage of their home gardens or combine growing angelica with other crops in the fields.

Angelica is grown by sowing seeds. From September to October of the previous lunar year, people prepare the land to sow seeds. After about 6 months of growth, the plant is harvested in April to May of the following lunar year. When harvesting, people cut the leaves, then dig up the roots, wash them, let them ripen, and then dry them in the sun or with a dryer.

At this time, farmers in the commune are concentrating on harvesting angelica. Stopping at the fields, the aroma of the medicinal herb spreads in the air, making anyone passing by feel comfortable. Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Hoi in Le Chi village said: My family has been growing this medicinal herb for 6 years. The harvest time lasts about 1 month. The characteristic of angelica root is that if it is harvested and exposed to rain, it will easily rot. Therefore, taking advantage of the dry days, we often change labor to ensure progress.

Farmers in Thuy Duong village, Thuy Loi commune harvest angelica

According to the households growing angelica in Thuy Loi, the advantages of this medicinal herb are low investment costs, low care costs, especially few pests and diseases, so there is almost no cost for pesticides and can take advantage of idle agricultural labor. However, to ensure stable productivity, growers need experience and a firm grasp of the plant's growth characteristics. Ms. Theu in Thuy Duong village has more than 10 years of experience growing angelica and shared: For many years, my family has always maintained planting 1.2 acres. This plant likes the sun and is afraid of waterlogging, so I choose high and well-drained fields for cultivation. When planting, I make beds like other vegetables, but before sowing, I focus on clearing the soil of weeds, eliminating termites and pests in the soil, especially adding a lot of composted manure to help the roots develop well.

On average, each sao of white angelica produces 2.0 - 2.5 quintals of dried roots. Consuming the product is very easy. Traders provide seeds and guarantee the output of the product right from the time people plant it. "After we process and dry the white angelica, traders from Van Giang, Van Lam districts... come to buy it at home. With the selling price ranging from 40,000 to 65,000 VND/kg of dried product depending on the time, after deducting all investment costs and labor, the average profit is 6 to 10 million VND/sao. "Compared to rice or some other vegetables, medicinal plants require less care, do not need to be fertilized many times after planting, and almost do not use pesticides, so they bring a lot of value to farmers," Ms. Theu added.

After the end of the angelica harvest, farmers in Thuy Loi commune take advantage of the medicinal herb growing area to cultivate vegetables such as corn, kohlrabi, winter cabbage... for an additional income of about 4 - 6 million VND/sao after deducting all expenses.

Mr. Pham Tuan Hai, Chairman of Thuy Loi Commune People's Committee, said: The local soil and climate conditions are suitable for growing Angelica dahurica. Along with the advantages of being easy to grow, easy to care for, and having higher economic efficiency than rice and some vegetables, growing medicinal plants has become an effective and sustainable solution for agricultural economic development. However, the biggest concern of the locality is the consumption of products because there is currently no joint venture or association to consume products, so households do not dare to boldly invest and expand production; the consumption of medicinal products through traders is basically favorable, but prices are not stable. Therefore, the locality is actively coordinating to find associated businesses to ensure the output of medicinal plants, contributing to changing the crop structure and increasing farmers' income.

Duong Mien

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