'Early Tet' in the agarwood village

QTO - In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, the fragrant scent of incense permeates every alley and hamlet in Ninh Chau commune. Here, production facilities are bustling at full capacity to deliver high-quality spiritual and handicraft products to customers both domestically and internationally.

Busy with year-end shipments.

At the Nam Lá Agarwood Production and Trading Cooperative (Hien Vinh village), the atmosphere is more hectic than ever. Since the 10th lunar month, market demand has surged, forcing workers to frequently work overtime and evening shifts to meet delivery deadlines.

According to Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang, Director of the cooperative, the cooperative focuses on clean, safe, and environmentally friendly products. The products are made entirely from natural agarwood powder, without any added chemicals or by-products.

"To obtain high-quality raw materials, we have to go directly to reputable agarwood growing regions to research, select, and purchase agarwood trees. All stages of production, packaging, and preservation are meticulously and carefully handled by workers in the factory," Ms. Trang shared.

To meet customer demand, the cooperative offers a variety of designs and price segments. Product prices depend on the amount of essential oil in the raw materials; plants with lower essential oil content are used for budget-friendly products, while those with higher oil content are used for premium products. Incense sticks range in price from 50,000 to 500,000 VND/kg, and incense cones from 50,000 to 200,000 VND/box. During peak seasons, the cooperative supplies hundreds of kilograms of incense and incense cones to the market daily.

Incense sticks from Nam Lá Agarwood Production Cooperative are made entirely from agarwood powder, without chemicals or additives - Photo: L.Chi

These days, workers at the Tran Hang agarwood production facility (Trung Quan village) are busy fulfilling orders for Tet (Lunar New Year). The sounds of chiseling and carving echo regularly. Each worker here is like an artisan, meticulously separating each wood grain to preserve the most exquisite part of the agarwood.

Mr. Tran Van Vinh, owner of Tran Hang agarwood production facility, said that to produce beautiful, high-quality agarwood products, the processes of splitting, carving, and shaping the agarwood require skilled and experienced craftsmen. When splitting agarwood, they must observe the characteristics of each tree to find the most suitable method, creating the highest quality raw agarwood pieces. Each year, the facility purchases more than 20 tons of raw materials from Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces to craft spiritual and artistic products such as agarwood statues, pens, bracelets, and jewelry. In addition to domestic sales, the facility also exports to markets in countries such as China, Thailand, and India.

"Giving wings" to agarwood

The development of the agarwood industry in Ninh Chau is closely linked to efforts in brand building and the application of technology in production and promotion. The "Nam La Lucky Agarwood Bud" product is a prime example, having been recognized as an OCOP product and a typical rural industrial product in 2024.

According to Ms. Trang, along with quality, the cooperative always focuses on packaging design and product styling to suit consumer tastes. Besides distributing to stores and agents inside and outside the province, the cooperative has leveraged online platforms such as Facebook and TikTok to promote and sell its products.

The agarwood processing industry contributes to solving the unemployment problem for rural workers in Ninh Chau commune - Photo: L.Chi

With the desire to expand the reach of the Nam Lá agarwood brand, Ms. Trang regularly participates in conferences: connecting suppliers with export businesses and promoting trade in the North Central region; trade and import-export development in the Central region; connecting supply and demand between Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces and cities; supply and demand connection fairs in the Central provinces… Currently, the cooperative's products are available in many provinces and cities nationwide, such as Hanoi , Lang Son, Vinh, Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City… Each year, the cooperative sells more than 3 tons of agarwood incense sticks and cones to the market.

“In the coming time, the cooperative will continue to expand its production scale; actively apply science , technology, and techniques in processing and preserving products; constantly improve quality while diversifying products. At the same time, we will strengthen advertising and trade promotion efforts, aiming for larger markets,” said Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang, Director of the Nam La Agarwood Production and Business Cooperative.

According to Nguyen Quang Ninh, Chairman of the Ninh Chau Commune Farmers' Association: “The Trung Quan agarwood production and processing professional association currently has 15 members, providing regular employment for over 150 workers. Members regularly cooperate and support each other in production and brand promotion. Thanks to this cooperation, the association's average revenue reaches nearly 30 billion VND per year, making a significant contribution to local economic development.”

While other households in the commune focus on incense sticks and handicrafts, Tran Van Binh Agarwood Trading and Processing Company (Trung Quan village) has chosen a unique and challenging path: exporting high-quality agarwood chips.

With over 10 years of experience in exporting his products, Mr. Binh's company has built a stable customer network in demanding markets such as Thailand, Singapore, and especially the Middle East. Each year, the business supplies more than 5 tons of finished agarwood products to the international market, generating a steady stream of revenue.

To maintain this impressive figure, Mr. Binh always prioritizes quality standards. According to Mr. Binh, after purchasing raw agarwood, the company processes and cleans it into finished agarwood chips. The chips are thoroughly cleaned, retaining their natural fragrance and the highest possible essential oil content before being packaged for export.

In the future, Tran Van Binh Agarwood Trading and Processing Company will invest in more equipment to improve productivity, while continuing to diversify its agarwood product lines to affirm the position of Quang Tri agarwood brand on the world map.

Lan Chi

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202602/tet-som-o-lang-tram-huong-f8a46c0/