Cinnamon forest 'awakens' Na Hau

Amidst the rolling hills and mountains of Na Hau hamlet (Nghinh Tuong commune, Thai Nguyen province), the anise forests are in their harvesting season. The fragrance of anise permeates the hills, signaling a new harvest season with a stable income, opening up an effective way to transform livelihoods and helping people gradually develop their economy from the forest.

Mr. Dang Duc Lien (from Na Hau hamlet, Nghinh Tuong commune) stands beside his star anise tree, which is currently in harvest season.

From early morning, many people in Na Hau hamlet have been carrying sacks up the hill to harvest star anise. On an area of ​​nearly 2.5 hectares, more than 200 star anise trees belonging to Mr. Dang Duc Lien's family are yielding a stable harvest. This year, traders from Lang Son have come directly to the area to buy star anise at a price of over 20,000 VND/kg, so the star anise growers are very happy.

Mr. Lien said: "My family started planting star anise in 2003. Initially, there were only a few dozen trees, but after expanding the area over the years, we now have about 2,000 trees, hundreds of which are already producing fruit. Star anise has become our main source of income, bringing in over 100 million VND per year."

Not far away, the family of Mr. Trieu Van Lieu is also busy with the harvest. On an area of ​​nearly 3 hectares, hundreds of star anise trees bring in an income of about 150 million VND each year. Mr. Lieu shared: "Previously, my family mainly worked in the fields, so the income was unstable. Since switching to growing star anise, the economy has become more stable. Thanks to the money from selling star anise, the family has been able to build a new house and provide for the children's education."

Not stopping at star anise trees, his family also planted more than 2,000 cinnamon trees that are over 10 years old. According to Mr. Lieu, in just a few more years, when the cinnamon trees are ready for harvesting, they will continue to bring in a significant income, creating more motivation for the family to commit to forest-based economic activities in the long term.

Na Hau is a remote and disadvantaged hamlet in Nghinh Tuong commune. Agricultural land is scarce, and the lives of the people previously depended mainly on slash-and-burn agriculture and forest exploitation. In recent years, thanks to a shift towards developing anise and cinnamon cultivation, the economy of many households has seen positive changes.

Na Hau hamlet currently has 79 households, most of which cultivate star anise and cinnamon, with a total area of ​​approximately 20 hectares dedicated to star anise cultivation. Among them, more than a dozen households have invested in large-scale development, such as the families of Mr. Dang Duc Lien, Mr. Trieu Tien Quy, Mr. Dang Sinh Tien, Mr. Trieu Tien Minh, etc., initially achieving clear economic benefits and becoming leading households in the development of forest-based economy in the locality.

Star anise is being harvested by residents of Na Hau hamlet (Nghinh Tuong commune), ready to be sold to traders.

According to Mr. Trieu Van Minh, head of Na Hau hamlet: "In recent years, people have focused on developing star anise cultivation to increase their income. Currently, about 14 households in the hamlet have invested heavily in this crop, and all have achieved positive economic results. Thanks to star anise, many households have escaped poverty, had the means to build houses, buy machinery, and gradually develop their family economy."

Not only Na Hau, but Nghinh Tuong commune has identified forestry as its main economic development direction. Among them, star anise and cinnamon are considered two key crops, well-suited to the local soil conditions.

Currently, the commune has about 50 hectares of cinnamon trees and several dozen hectares of star anise. In addition, the locality is also conducting a trial planting of golden flower tea under the forest canopy to diversify crops and increase the economic value on the same area of ​​forest land.

From the cinnamon and star anise forests, a new direction for economic development is opening up for the people of Nghinh Tuong. In Na Hau alone, new houses are gradually springing up amidst the green mountains and forests, and concrete roads have connected the commune center to the hamlets. Each harvest season, the scent of star anise spreads in the wind, a joyful sign of the increasingly prosperous lives of the highland people.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202605/rung-hoi-danh-thuc-na-hau-e2e0f12/