Sweet taste of palmyra in the border region

Ms. Chau Ngoc Dieu promotes products at fairs at home and abroad. Photo: HANH CHAU

Contributing to raising the value of traditional palm products of the Khmer people in the Bay Nui region, for many years, Ms. Chau Ngoc Dieu, residing in Hamlet 1, Tri Ton commune, has produced palm honey, certified by USDA (USA), certified organic by Canada (USCOEA) and EU Organic, with an export revenue of over 2 billion VND/year. Palmania thick palm honey is a 4-star OCOP product. The secret to keeping the product more advantageous than similar products is that she cooks palm honey in the natural way as in the past with sen wood, no food additives, no mixing. The products are completely pure, natural, fragrant, sweet, especially fully preserving the aroma, delicious taste and valuable properties of palm honey.

Ms. Diu said: “From a small establishment, in 2017, I and two friends pooled capital to open Palmania Joint Stock Company, successfully developing many palm products such as: Palm sugar syrup in thick, powdered and granulated forms, fresh palm juice in cans. In 2020, I brought palm sugar syrup to participate in the Great Taste Awards competition held in the UK, and was honored to win 2 stars, being the first Vietnamese palm sugar syrup powder product to win the award. After that, I won a series of awards such as: First prize in the An Giang province creative startup idea competition, third prize in the Starup Wheel startup competition and the Mekong Delta startup competition”.

Recently, Ms. Diu signed a contract to purchase all pure palm juice from 15 households, with about 300 palm trees. She buys the juice at twice the market price, invests in and improves the cooking furnace and tools for the people. Every day, the households collect nectar twice, providing the purchasing company with an average of about 1,200 liters of fresh juice. The palm juice after being collected will be cooked immediately into thick palm juice.

Ms. Neang Chen, residing in Ninh Thuan hamlet, O Lam commune, shared: "My family has 55 palm trees, providing an average of 160 liters of honey per day for Ms. Diu, helping to increase the family's income and stabilize output." "The company also supports us with tools for harvesting and producing palm honey, especially supporting us with interest-free loans to help us prepare for the production season or invest in life, health, etc. This amount is gradually paid back when we supply palm juice or sugar. The payment amount is divided into small amounts, spread evenly over the production season, which is very convenient for farmers," said Mr. Chau Ra, a household participating in the contract signing.

Realizing the potential of palm sugar, many businesses have joined hands to increase the value of the product. An Giang Fruit and Vegetable Food Joint Stock Company (Antesco), Long Xuyen Ward, has launched canned palm sugar products for domestic consumption and export. Bay Nui Bird's Nest Company Limited, Tinh Bien Ward, has palm sugar jam, palm sugar nectar, palm sugar nectar syrup... In Thoi Son Ward, Ngoc Trang Palm Sugar Production Facility was established very early, after 12 years it became Ngoc Trang Limited Liability Company. Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Trang - Director of this company said: "Realizing the potential direction, since 1997, my family has established a palm sugar production facility, purchasing and consuming large quantities of palm sugar for farmers in the area".

Up to now, Ngoc Trang Limited Company has produced many palm sugar products in powder, packet, paste, and pellet forms... The 1kg palm sugar paste product has achieved 3-star OCOP. "We changed old equipment and machinery in the sugar production area to new 304 stainless steel equipment, improved the transition from manual to machine, and improved output and quality," Ms. Trang shared.

Currently, products made from organic palm are being consumed by 80% of associated businesses. Profits from organic products are expected to be 1.5 - 2 times higher than those from traditional exploitation.

HANH CHAU

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/vi-ngot-thot-not-vung-bien-a469732.html