Lang Son province has more than 43,370 hectares of Vietnamese star aniseed. The province accounts for approximately 70% of the country’s total star anise area. Among this, more than 28,000 hectares are under stable harvesting. Meanwhile, the annual production of dried star anise ranges from 7,500 to 16,000 tons. The value reaches around 1,700 billion VND per year.
Star anise, or simply anise, is a specialty agricultural product of the province with high economic value. It is a vital ingredient in various fields such as medicine, fragrances, cuisine, and handicrafts, with a broad consumption market. Lang Son star anise is one of 39 geographical indications in Vietnam. Moreover, it has been recognized and protected by the European Union.
Vietnamese star aniseed
Van Quan district is the “Kingdom of Vietnamese star aniseed,” with over 14,000 hectares of star anise forest. During the harvesting season, every hill covered with star anise forests is filled with the warm fragrance of the spice. At the same time, it blends harmoniously with the mountain winds.
Mr. Be, a farmer, shared that this year’s star anise harvest is abundant and fetches good prices. Dried star anise sells for 130,000 to 140,000 VND per kilogram. Each year, his family harvests about 20 tons of fresh star anise, earning around 500 million VND. Thanks to Vietnamese star aniseed, his family has been able to build a sturdy house and afford modern conveniences.
After harvesting, traders come here to directly collect Vietnam’s star anise from households. Ms. Hanh, a trader, shared that to increase the value of star anise, since 2017 her family has invested in a steam-drying facility. Accordingly, it has increased drying capacity more than tenfold compared to traditional methods. Since then, her family has purchased and exported over 100 tons of star anise annually.
Besides the Chinese market, Ms. Hanh has signed export contracts for Vietnamese star aniseed to India and the Middle East. Currently, there are twenty star anise processing facilities in Van Quan district. Among them is the facility of Mr. Kha, which proceds and exports star anise to demanding markets.
Harvesting Vietnamese star aniseed
Currently, in Van Quan district, most traders purchase star anise to dry and process it before exporting dried star anise. Only Mr. Tu’s family has boldly invested in processing star anise essential oil, exporting to markets with stricter quality requirements. Mr. Tu shared that he has been involved in star anise distillation for over 40 years.
In the past, hundreds of households in the village specialized in distilling star anise essential oil using traditional boiling methods. During the harvesting season, the village’s distillation furnaces glowed red day and night. Today, that scene no longer exists because traditional methods are costly and produce lower-quality oil.
At the end of 2019, his family invested over one billion VND to install an electric-powered star anise distillation system. According to Mr. Tu, this new system has a large capacity, producing 100 liters of essential oil per batch. Currently, Mr. Tu’s star anise essential oil has received a 4-star OCOP certification and is available in European countries.
Mr. Tuan, Secretary of the Van Quan district, stated that since 2016, the district has implemented a project. This project has aimed to improve the quality and yield of Vietnamese star aniseed for the 2016–2020 period, with funding of over 14 billion VND. Currently, the district has developed over 400 hectares of organic star anise.
Drying Vietnamese star aniseed
In the coming period, the district will continue implementing measures to mobilize all resources for production development. Also, it will provide support for seedlings, fertilizers, and materials for models and target development programs. Moreover, the province will offer training and technical workshops, as well as promote and advertise Vietnamese star aniseed.
At the same time, the district encourages the development of models where businesses cooperate with farmers to invest in production, processing, and product consumption. In addition, it will also strengthen trade promotion and develop stable consumption markets.
Thanks to the Lang Son’s star anise development policies, recently many domestic and foreign companies have placed orders and purchased large quantities of star anise.
In 2020, the European Union recoganized and protected the Vietnamese star aniseed geographical indication. Since then, the province’s star anise market has seen significant improvement. As a result, its reputation has been enhanced both domestically and internationally.
In the past, star anise growers often faced the problem of abundant harvests but low prices. Specifically, the selling price of dried star anise was only a few tens of thousands of VND per kilogram. Since 2022, however, the price of dried star anise has maintained steadily at 130,000 to 150,000 VND per kilogram.
A factory of Vietnamese star aniseed
Recently, the province has implemented many programs to promote trade and the Lang Son star anise brand in international markets. Many foreign partners have become aware of and sought out these products. As a result, it has helped star anise gradually secure its position on the global stage.
Currently, China accounts for the largest export share of Vietnamese star aniseed. However, it is also present in countries such as Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Japan, and Germany.
According an Vietnamese spice company, India accounts for more than 80% of its star anise exports. For other markets, the company actively promotes products such as star anise essential oil, organic spices, health care products, dishwashing liquid, and cinnamon-star anise soap.
To ensure high-quality raw materials, the company places orders with farmers to pay attention to cultivation and harvesting practices. In addition, it has signed output-guarantee contracts covering 700 hectares of Vietnamese star aniseed in the province.
Since 2020, the province has established two supply chains for star anise-based products. They covered more than 1,000 hectares in Chi Lang and Trang Dinh districts. These partnered companies has purchased over 3,000 tons of fresh star anise annually for processing and export.
Dried aniseed from Vietnam
In addition, the companies also promote and expand sales channels on international e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba and Amazon. Lang Son star anise products have undergone improvements in legal compliance, productivity, and quality. Consequently, they now satisfy the strict requirements of demanding markets, following hundreds of regulations from cultivation and harvesting to processing and storage.
As a result, Vietnamese star anise products are no longer dependent on the traditional Chinese market. Moreover, they have reached markets worldwide, helping stabilize output and increase selling prices.
In 2022, the harvested production reached 13,000 tons of dried star anise, with a value of about 1,500 billion VND. Previously, in 2021, Lang Son’s star anise exports valued at $31 million, corresponding to an export volume of approximately 3,500 tons of dried star anise.
Lang Son identifies star anise as one of the province’s key forestry crops, helping local people improve their living standards and reduce poverty. The province is gradually working to increase the value of this specialty crop, aiming for sustainable development. In addition, it contributes to strengthening the brand of Lang Son star anise in particular and Vietnam in general in the global market..
Vietnamese source: https://nhandan.vn/phat-trien-ben-vung-cay-hoi-xu-lang-post777157.html