Visiting the land of star anise in Lang Son.

Star anise is a valuable specialty product of Lang Son, primarily for export. It is widely used in the fields of medicine, flavoring, cuisine, and handicrafts, enjoying a broad domestic and international market.

IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY

In recent years, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has focused on directing and promoting the development of star anise cultivation. The province has set a target of developing and maintaining a stable area of approximately 35,000 hectares of star anise for harvest by 2030, and implementing solutions to improve the yield and quality of the product on 24,000 hectares. Simultaneously, the Department of Agriculture and Environment, in coordination with relevant agencies, is gradually establishing a source of high-tech seed varieties, such as: propagating star anise using grafting and tissue culture methods.

According to Nguyen Huu Chien, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lang Son province: The locality encourages plant seed production facilities to upgrade research, develop technical cultivation processes, and intensify the cultivation of star anise to improve productivity and quality, and guide farmers in implementing these processes through a "hands-on" approach. In addition, the province has implemented international cooperation to improve cultivation and processing techniques; proposed and implemented many scientific research projects to rehabilitate old, low-yielding star anise forests, and developed intensive cultivation processes for high productivity and quality, meeting export standards.

Many organic anise cultivation models, aimed at improving productivity and product quality, are being implemented in the districts of Chi Lang, Binh Gia, and Van Quan, covering a total area of 705 hectares. Notably, many farmers have proactively applied new technical processes in production, such as: soil preparation, seed selection, organic fertilization, rational irrigation and drainage, pruning, and pest and disease control using safe products. As a result, yields have increased by 15-20%, plants are growing well, and are less susceptible to pests and diseases.

Mr. Linh Van Quyen, from Tay B village, Yen Phuc commune, Van Quan district, shared: “My family is currently cultivating 5 hectares of star anise trees aged 3-30 years. With guidance from the District Department of Agriculture and Environment, I annually clear the land, prune the branches, and supplement the trees with nutrients. The star anise garden suffers less from pests and diseases, and the yield and quality have increased, helping to stabilize my family's income.”

EXPANDING EXPORT MARKETS

Thanks to the province's policies and mechanisms supporting the development of star anise cultivation, many domestic and foreign companies have placed orders and purchased star anise in large quantities. The star anise market is increasingly thriving, establishing its brand both domestically and internationally. From a situation where a bumper harvest led to low prices, with dried star anise costing only a few tens of thousands of VND/kg, the price of dried star anise has increased to 130,000-150,000 VND/kg since 2022.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, two product value chains for star anise and star anise-derived products have been established in the province, covering over 1,000 hectares in Chi Lang and Trang Dinh districts. The collaborating entities are Vietnam Star Anise Company Limited (Vinasamex), Lang Son Forestry Products Processing and Export Company Limited (Aforex), and Lang Son Agricultural and Forestry Products Processing and Export Company. These companies purchase over 3,000 tons of fresh star anise annually for processing and export. The formation of these value chains has enhanced product value, stabilized output, increased competitiveness, and contributed to building a sustainable market.

Thanks to the application of legal procedures and improvements in productivity and quality, star anise products from Lang Son province have met the stringent regulations of demanding markets, with hundreds of regulations ranging from cultivation and harvesting to processing and preservation. As a result, star anise products are no longer dependent on the traditional Chinese market but have reached the global market, helping to stabilize output and increase product prices. From 2020 to the present, the price of fresh star anise has increased, fluctuating from 30,000-50,000 VND/kg, while the price of dried star anise has reached 100,000-150,000 VND/kg; the estimated value is 1,700 billion VND/year. Lang Son star anise products are now present in many countries such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia, the UK, the US, France, Japan, and Germany…

According to Nguyen Dinh Dai, Director of the Lang Son Department of Industry and Trade: Lang Son star anise products have been granted a geographical indication protection certificate for "Lang Son Star Anise Fruit and Essential Oil" by the Intellectual Property Office under the Ministry of Science and Technology since 2007 and have been recognized as one of the top 10 best natural specialties of Vietnam. Notably, from 2020 to the present, Lang Son star anise is one of 39 geographical indications of Vietnam recognized and protected in the European Union (EU).

In the coming period, Lang Son province has identified star anise as one of its key forestry crops, helping people improve their lives and alleviate poverty. The province is gradually striving to increase the value of the product, aiming for the sustainable development of this specialty crop, contributing to establishing the brand of Lang Son star anise in the international market.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/ve-mien-hoa-hoi-xu-lang-post876926.html