The thing that many star anise growers in Lang Son are concerned about is how to take care of the trees for high productivity, best quality, and long exploitation time as well as deep-processing.
Lang Son has an area of star anise up to more than 40,000 ha, accounting for about 70% of the country’s star anise area. However, for star anise trees to have sustainable development, the functional sectors of Lang Son province and the star anise growers need to actively change their minds, build a concentrated raw material area, and improve the quality of products by applying scientific and technical advances in production.
Star anise is called a flower but it’s a fruit with 5 or 8 rhomboid-shaped petals. The tree does not require a lot of care. After about 7-8 years, the tree will be available for harvest. Being favored by nature in terms of climate and soil, Lang Son star anise is always rated as the product with the best quality, high content of essential oils, and especially no harmful ingredients in essential oils to human health.
Star anise is called a flower but it’s a fruit with 5 or 8 rhomboid-shaped petals. (Photo: Internet)
Currently, in Lang Son province, star anise trees are scattered in most districts but concentrated in Van Quan, Binh Gia, Van Lang, Loc Binh, and Cao Loc districts with a total area of more than 40,000 ha, accounting for over 70% of the total area of the country with an output of 13,000-15,000 tonnes/year. As a perennial tree with high economic benefits, what many star anise growers in Lang Son are concerned about is how to take care of the trees for high productivity, best quality, and long exploitation time.
Many star anise growers in Van Quan – one of the localities with the largest area of star anise in Lang Son province, said that there were times when star anise reduced its yield by 70-80% after only one year of a good season. Not only that but many areas were infected with diseases and pets.
Ms. Lang Thuy Hong, in Diem He commune, Van Quan district shared that the annual production of star anise is not stable.
“I do hope that the authorities of all levels will guide the techniques for taking care of star anise, or support a wide-spectrum sprayer so that people can cope with the above hazards, contributing to economic stability,” Ms. Lang Hong said.
Currently, Lang Son province has a full process for star anise production, from the seedling preparation stage, caring, harvesting, pre-processing, processing, etc. However, star anise growers still want scientists to have more in-depth research on this tree so that they can cultivate it sustainably, maintain productivity year by year, and especially tend to process star anise products on site, reducing their dependence on the Chinese market.
Mr. Nong Van Tung, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Van Quan District, Lang Son Province, said that despite the largest area of star anise in the province, all star anise products are at the level of preliminary processing, so the market for star anise products is limited.
“We need a deep-processing factory to make more useful products from star anise, so the market will be more diverse and expanded. That is a very necessary direction for the locality today, ” Mr. Tung suggested.
For the sustainable development of star anise, Lang Son province needs to do better in directing the construction of concentrated raw material areas, meeting the standards of sustainable forest management and organic production, applying new technical processes such as soil making, seed selection, fertilizer, irrigation, or pest control by safe bioproducts.
Lang Son star anise is always rated as the best quality product with high essential oil content. (Photo: Internet)
Ms. Dinh Thi Thu, Deputy Director of Lang Son Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the province now has some pilot areas for organic star anise production, supported by the locality through investment projects in districts such as Chi Lang (174 ha), Binh Gia (131 ha), and Van Quan (over 400 ha). On the other hand, the locality also strengthens trade promotion and builds many preferential policies to attract businesses, forming a chain linking star anise and its products.
“Over the years, the Department has organized many training courses to guide people to produce star anise safely for good quality and increase the value of star anise and its products. Along with that, there are many conferences to promote and introduce star anise to the domestic market and the world. In the past time, the province has called for the investment in deep processing of star anise. Currently, the businesses are closely associated with farmers to ensure the consumption, as well as deep processing of products from star anise for exports to international markets, ”Ms. Thu said./.