In 2023, Vietnam exported more than 89 thousand metric tons of cassia. The total value of Vietnamese cassia reached $260 million. With an area of about 180,000 hectares, mainly in the northern mountainous provinces, Vietnam would be the world’s leading cassia producing country.
Vietnamese cassia has become a forestry tree with high economic value. It helps local people in many localities escape poverty and become rich. However, cassia companies of Vietnam are also facing a number of difficulties and challenges that need solutions to overcome and develop sustainably.
Yen Bai is the province with the largest cassia growing area in the country. The total area reaches more than 80,000 hectares, accounting for 1/3 of the province’s planted forest area. Every year, the province exploits 18 thousand metric tons of cassia barks and 85 thousand metric tons of branches and leaves. Total annual volume of cassia wood reaches 200,000 m3.
According to a local official, cassia has become the province’s key forestry tree, making an important contribution to the economic structure. In addition, it helps improve the environment and reduce damages caused by natural disasters.
To support local growers, the government has fully implemented forestry development policies, guided people to produce safely and sustainably. Moreover, the province has developed organic cassia areas with traceable product origins.
As a result, cassia trees have helped many local households escape poverty and become rich. For example, the family of Mr. Tuan has planted cinnamon since 2007 and started harvesting in 2010. Currently, they are harvesting cassia barks and selling at the price of VND 50,000 per kilogram. Cassia leaves are worth at VND 2,000 per kilogram. Averagely, his family can earn hundreds of millions of Vietnamese dongs per year for each hectare of mature cassia.
“Planting cassia once can generate multiple incomes for thirty years. In the first and second years, we intercrop with cassava, which will generate additional income. From the third year onwards, we can prune the branches and sell them to earn the same amount of money as the labor cost. By the eighth or ninth year, we will start making a profit. Any family with two hectares of cassia, if they are not sick, they can build a house or buy a car in a few years”, Mr. Tuan shared.
According to a spice company in Vietnam, Vietnamese cassia has been exported to more than fifty countries around the world. Also, the demand for this product is still large and stable. High-quality markets such as the US and EU, which have very large demand but require high quality standards. Therefore, it is necessary to change in cassia production and processing.
Mr. Duy, an official from Lao Cai province, said: “To overcome difficulties for the cassia industry, the role of spice enterprises is very important. Such enterprises should clearly understand market information, create consumption connection and support growers to plant according to Vietgap and organic standards”.
“Lao Cai province has proposed solutions to link cassia production to the value chain from production, exploitation, processing and promotion. Exporting enterprises should focus on deep processing to make high-value cassia products”.
“Also, we expanding and promoting the effectiveness of existing value chain linkage projects. Along with that, processing cassia products should be done in sustainable manners. In addition, the province encourages processing factory to apply new technology and management improve the quality and value of cassia products”, the official added.
Vietnamese sources: baolaocai.vn