Star anise season in Hoanh Mo

Hoanh Mo is in the midst of its star anise harvesting season. Throughout the high hills, people are picking star anise flowers; along the roads, there are people transporting them, and scenes of buyers and sellers of star anise are everywhere. Factories that boil, dry, and package star anise are operating non-stop.

Dong Cam is a village with a very small area of ​​anise cultivation among the 15 villages in Hoanh Mo commune that grow anise. With only about 100 hectares out of a total of over 5,000 hectares of anise cultivation in the entire commune, the economic life of the people in Dong Cam is quite prosperous thanks to anise farming. Ms. Lo Thi Hoai, Party Secretary and Head of Dong Cam village, said: Up to 80% of households in the village have income from anise. Some households earn less than 100 million VND/year, while others earn up to 300 million VND/year. After just a few successful anise harvests, the people of Dong Cam can build houses, buy cars, and so on.

People in Dong Cam village (Hoanh Mo commune) are harvesting star anise.

Since star anise became in high demand, its price has steadily increased from 2010 to the present. The star anise forests in Dong Cam village in particular, and Hoanh Mo commune in general, have been carefully tended to by the people. Regular pruning and pest checks ensure that the star anise is harvested on time, eliminating the previous problem of dried and fallen flowers in the forest. Star anise has become a livelihood and a source of wealth for the people of Hoanh Mo, fostering a strong attachment to their star anise forests. Ms. Tran Thi Nuong (Loong Vai village) said: "This year, the price of star anise isn't as high as last year, but no one is abandoning their crop. My family estimates we'll harvest just over 3 tons of fresh star anise, equivalent to about 60 million VND. This amount is enough to meet our family's living needs, and we can save up for other sources of income."

As a perennial crop, star anise trees have a lifespan of 30-40 years. Trees as young as 5 years can be harvested for star anise in two seasons: the spring and autumn harvests. The spring harvest takes place from January to March, accounting for about 30% of the annual yield, while the autumn harvest runs from August to October. Currently, over 5,000 hectares of star anise in Hoanh Mo are mostly mature and ready for annual harvesting. By 2025, Hoanh Mo's star anise production is expected to reach nearly 1,000 tons of fresh star anise, equivalent to 280 tons of dried star anise. Thanks to this abundant supply, many star anise processing facilities have been built to supply products to traders, gradually making Hoanh Mo a center for the production, processing, and trading of star anise.

Ms. Hoang Thi Phuong, Director of Chu Phuong Cinnamon and Anise Cooperative (Pac Poc village, Hoanh Mo commune), said: "Currently, we purchase about 10 tons of anise from farmers each day, and during the harvest season, the cooperative purchases up to 30 tons per day. All of this anise is boiled using a steam boiler system, which ensures even cooking, a golden color, and no smoky smell. Afterward, it is dried, packaged, and stored in cold storage, ensuring it meets the standards for export to foreign markets, including Europe..."

Workers at Chu Phuong Cinnamon Cooperative dry the cinnamon.

Based on the identification of star anise as a key forestry species, Hoanh Mo commune is developing a concentrated forestry development program focusing on star anise. Accordingly, the immediate priority for the commune is to renovate and restore the area of ​​old star anise trees. According to La Ngoc Duong, Vice Chairman of the Hoanh Mo Commune People's Committee: A review has shown that there are currently about 3,800 hectares of star anise trees aged 25 years or older, a stage where the trees begin to age, their growth and development slow down, and they are more susceptible to pests and diseases. We have coordinated with specialized units to implement pilot models for rejuvenating star anise trees by enhancing nutrition and disease prevention for mature trees, combined with new planting and supplementary planting, aiming to create a successor generation of trees.

Based on exemplary models, people in Hoanh Mo commune have proactively learned and implemented proper care of their family's anise forests to increase yield, quality, and ensure sustainable development. In addition, Hoanh Mo commune is currently encouraging businesses to invest in the procurement, preliminary processing, and processing of anise products, transforming raw anise into refined products, thereby increasing the value of anise in the area. The Hoanh Mo anise forest is also identified by the commune as a potential area for developing community tourism models combined with anise harvesting experiences, sightseeing, and research.

Viet Hoa

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/mua-hoi-o-hoanh-mo-3403148.html