In one part of Quang Tri province, people grow An Xoa plants that thrive on the hillsides. Whenever they harvest them, they sell them at a good price, bringing joy to the whole village.

With a bountiful harvest and high prices offered by local herbal processing facilities directly from the fields, farmers are extremely pleased.

These days, many households growing An Xoa plants in Cam Lo district are concentrating their manpower and resources on harvesting the first crop of An Xoa plants.

Everyone was delighted because as soon as the An Xoa plant was harvested, trucks from processing facilities came to buy it. Especially noteworthy was the immediate payment at the field, at a price of 12,000 VND per kilogram.

The family of Mr. Nguyen Van Tiet, in Quat Xa village, Cam Thanh commune, planted 3 sao (approximately 0.3 hectares) of An Xoa trees. After nearly a year, they harvested over 3 tons of fresh An Xoa, earning more than 36 million VND.

Mr. Tiet shared that compared to growing peanuts or cassava, the income from growing An Xoa is much higher. "Initially, when we first started planting, we lacked experience, so the spacing was too wide, leading to more labor for weeding and care. But another advantage is the stable market; the produce is purchased immediately after harvest in the field, saving us the effort of transportation and reducing costs," Mr. Tiet added.

In May 2021, the family of Mr. Do Anh Khanh in Minh Chinh village, Cam Chinh commune (Cam Lo district, Quang Tri province) converted 0.6 hectares of land previously used for cassava cultivation to growing An Xoa plants.

Mr. Khanh said that each An Xoa plant is planted 1.7 meters apart and harvested every 6 months by cutting all the branches and leaves 15-20 cm from the base.

According to Mr. Khanh, the An Xoa plant is a medicinal herb that is relatively easy to grow, resistant to pests and diseases, has high yields, and generates income many times higher than other crops. On his An Xoa plantation, Mr. Khanh's family has invested in a drip irrigation system, does not use pesticides, and only uses manure fertilizer and treats the soil with microbial preparations.

"In the future, my family will continue to expand the area of ​​An Xoa trees to more than 1 hectare according to the district's plan to increase income and create a stable source of raw materials for the locality," Mr. Khanh added.

Farmers in Cam Chinh commune, Cam Lo district (Quang Tri province) are harvesting An Xoa plants, a valuable medicinal herb - Photo: LT

Currently, the first harvest of An Xoa plants is concentrated in the communes of Cam Hieu, Cam Thanh, and Cam Chinh, covering an area of ​​3.5 hectares. After nearly a year since planting, this medicinal plant has shown good adaptation and growth in all three soil types: basaltic red soil, alluvial soil along the riverbanks, and hilly land.

According to locals, the An Xoa plant is naturally occurring and grows abundantly in the hilly areas of Cam Lo district. Previously, people would go into the forest to cut An Xoa plants and sell them to herbal medicine processing facilities for 3,000 VND per kilogram of fresh plant.

Many people use the leaves of this plant to make a daily drink to treat liver-related ailments. The An Xoa plant is very easy to grow and care for; the time from planting to harvesting is less than 12 months, and it yields two harvests per year.

On average, each hectare yields about 40 tons of fresh produce per year. With the current purchase price of 12,000 VND/kg, after deducting expenses, farmers earn a profit of approximately 300 million VND/ha.

Currently, there are two facilities in Cam Lo district specializing in processing herbal extracts from the An Xoa plant for export. In the future, the district plans to expand the area planted with An Xoa trees throughout the district to approximately 15 hectares.

According to Tran Hoai Linh, Vice Chairman of the Cam Lo District People's Committee, during the trial planting of the An Xoa plant, monitoring showed that the An Xoa plant in the area achieved a yield exceeding even the theoretical expectations.

The investment cost for planting one hectare of An Xoa trees is approximately 300 million VND, but the harvesting period lasts from 7 to 10 years. After harvesting, the An Xoa trees will regenerate, and after 6 months of care, they can be harvested again.

Regarding product output, Mr. Linh said that in the past period, Cam Lo district has actively sought markets and has exported two batches of finished An Xoa herbal extract to the US market.

Currently, the partner has provided advance funding for the purchase of raw materials, and the district is preparing to sign contracts for the next batch of export shipments to the US market.

"In the coming time, we will continue to invite experts to support Cam Lo in expanding the area of ​​An Xoa trees according to proper technical procedures in an organic direction, ensuring strict requirements of partners to continue exporting," Mr. Tran Hoai Linh added.

In the socio -economic development strategy of Cam Lo district (Quang Tri province), the development of medicinal plants is identified as a key direction, aiming to build Cam Lo into a concentrated raw material area. Specifically, by 2025, along with other medicinal plants, Cam Lo district will plan to develop a specialized cultivation area for An Xoa (a type of medicinal plant) of approximately 200 hectares. Simultaneously, Cam Lo is collaborating with AGRIDYNAMICS Vietnam Joint Stock Company, a company that has partnered with the district to export An Xoa extract to the US market, to build a medicinal plant processing factory.

This opens up many favorable opportunities for the procurement and distribution of An Xoa plant products from local people. At the same time, it creates momentum for Cam Lo medicinal products in general, and An Xoa plant in particular, to continue exporting to the world market in larger quantities.

Source: https://danviet.vn/o-mot-noi-cua-quang-tri-dan-trong-cay-an-xoa-tot-um-tren-doi-he-cat-la-ban-gia-hoi-ca-lang-vui-20240915195121104.htm