A very few countries own star anise, but Vietnam grows a lot. According to statistics, the star anise area of Vietnam by 2022 is about 40,000 hectares, concentrated mainly in Lang Son and Cao Bang, with an annual output of more than 16,000 tons.
Star anise can be harvested since the 4th year, but only for about 16 years can it be harvested two crops per year. Therefore, this rare spice is even more precious. In particular, the spring crop is in February and March, while the other is in September and October. Most star anise after harvest will be dried for export. Only a small part is processed into essential oils. According to the World Spices Organization, Vietnam’s star anise production ranks second globally, only behind China.
Vietnam’s star anise is hunted by many countries.
Regarding the export situation, according to preliminary statistics of the Vietnam Pepper Association (VPA), Vietnam’s export of star anise in August reached 1,146 tons with a value of 5.4 million USD, down 31% compared to the previous month. By the end of August, Vietnam exported 9,831 tons of star anise with a total turnover of 47.3 million USD, down 1.7% in volume and 17.8% in value over the same period last year.
In terms of market, India continues to be the largest importer of star anise from Vietnam with 6,083 tons, up 6.3% over the same period last year.
In second place is the US with 694 tons, up 8.4%.
Taiwan (China) suddenly rose to third place with 301 tons, a sharp increase of 169% compared to the same period in 2023.
India is leading in cinnamon and star anise consumption in the world. This country is also a major medicinal producer. Currently, Vietnam dominates the Indian market with more than 80% of cinnamon and star anise imports. With a large population, India has a huge market demand range for cinnamon, star anise, and medicinal herbs.
Lang Son is known as the “center” of star anise, with a large area and an average annual economic value of over 1,000 billion VND.
According to the Lang Son Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in 2022 alone, the harvest output was estimated at 13,000 tons of dried star anise, and the value was about 1,500 billion VND. Previously, in 2021, Lang Son’s star anise products had an export value of 31 million USD, equivalent to an export volume of about 3,500 tons of dried star anise.
Experts said that, up to now, Vietnam’s star anise agriculture and processing industry has gradually moved to a sustainable development stage. In the future, Vietnam’s star anise export is expected to continue to grow strongly, contributing to improving the value of Vietnamese agricultural products and income for farmers.
The government and businesses need to continue to work closely to maintain and develop this achievement and further promote research, development, and expansion of consumption markets.