Journey to export Vietnam star aniseed to Europe

Vietnam star aniseed

Bringing Vietnam star aniseed to European supermarkets without any intermediaries is  Vietnam’s ambition to register for protection of geographical indications in this market. By producing and processing under organic standards, Vietnam star aniseed has achieved several initial successes in this strict market.

Tell the story of Vietnam star aniseed, a spice trading company said: “The anise trees here have gone through many up-and-down periods. There were sometime that star anise was so expensive that growers did not have enough to sell. However, it was thought to throw away because there were no markets. By 2007, geographical indications of Vietnam star aniseed was protected and became a national asset”.

At the end of 2015, Vietnam completed the document of registration of geographical indications for star aniseed in Europe. This helped to affirm the brand name and avoid infringement of the copyrights to Vietnam star aniseed products in foreign countries.

Vietnam star aniseed
Vietnam star aniseed

Ms. Ha, a governor, shared: “Star anise products have many applications in medication, pharmaceuticals, cuisine, and animal feed. Especially in Europe, star aniseed is one of the main ingredients for confectionery and cosmetics industries. Therefore, the potential of star anise products in this market is huge. However, this is a market with long-standing geographical experience. In order for penetration, we should adjust the operating system of geographical indications to suit the management mechanism of Europe, especially in terms of traceability ”.

Visiting a processing factory of Vietnamese star anise, where there are more than 60 workers, you can see the remarkable prosperity of this product.

Ms. Quyen, an anise grower and also a processing worker, excitedly said: “Previously, when the geographical indications were not registered, we faced many difficulties because of unstable price conditions. In recent years, the market has become more stable and growers are excited. Last year, the price of fresh star anise was about VND 25,000/kg, but this year it increased to VND 35,000/kg. This created more jobs for local workers and higher income for growers. ”

According to a spice export company in Vietnam, when exporting Europe, star aniseed must meet strict requirements of origin and natural color. The top-class star anise will have with eight evenly large wings with small broken rate, which have much high price than normal class.

Vietnam star aniseed: Packing for export
Vietnam star aniseed: Packing for export

At present, the goverment are training local growers on cultivaltion techniques, renovating and processing methods. The green forests of Vietnam star anise are expanding with a process of planting, collecting and processing under organic practices.

Voluntarily complying with strict quality regulations, local growers hope that Vietnam star anise will soon be available on European shelves without going through any intermediaries.

Vietnamese sources:
https://khoahocphattrien.vn/Dia-phuong/hanh-trinh-sang-chau-au-cua-hoi-xu-lang/20151224034714388p1c937.htm