Bachelor of Economics turns turmeric into 3-star OCOP product

From her own experience and research process, Ms. Vo Thi Thu Hang (born in 1985, in village 5, Son Tra commune, Huong Son district, Ha Tinh ) has produced products from turmeric and upgraded the products to meet 3-star OCOP standards.

Video : Production process of pure turmeric starch of Thu Hang facility.

Born and raised in a large family in Huong Long commune (Huong Khe), in 2007, Ms. Vo Thi Thu Hang graduated from the University of Commerce ( Hanoi ), then worked as an accountant at Thach Khe Iron Joint Stock Company (Ha Tinh). In 2010, she transferred to Vinh City, Nghe An. In 2013, after marrying Mr. Le Quang Hoa - a construction engineer, Ms. Thu Hang quit her job and moved to her husband's hometown (village 5, Son Tra commune, Huong Son district).

According to Ms. Hang, since her student days she had suffered from intestinal and stomach diseases and had been treated in many places but her condition did not improve. By chance, Ms. Hang was introduced by a friend in Vinh City to use turmeric starch extracted from red turmeric - which is widely used in food processing to treat stomach problems. Not only that, this plant also helps women have smooth skin, free of melasma and acne.

Turmeric starch at Thu Hang facility is produced according to strict processes.

Out of curiosity and a desire to learn and extract products for herself, Ms. Hang has diligently researched and learned from the experiences of her predecessors and successfully tested the turmeric starch product in 2015.

Turmeric honey pills product manufactured by the facility.

However, during this period, she was busy with her young children, so the production of turmeric starch had to be put on hold. It was not until 2018 that Ms. Hang “rekindled” the idea of ​​producing turmeric starch. After discussing with her husband, she began to buy some machines, research the market, and raw materials to produce turmeric starch from available raw materials in Huong Son district and other localities in Ha Tinh province.

“Input materials are an important factor in determining product quality. Therefore, turmeric must be the type that is dug up to be orange-red in color, grown for at least 1 year, and harvested from December of this year to May (solar calendar) of the following year. Only this type of turmeric can produce good quality turmeric starch,” Ms. Thu Hang shared.

To gain a foothold in the market, the establishment invests in eye-catching, highly aesthetic labels and designs.

According to Ms. Thu Hang, the process of producing turmeric starch is nothing special but requires perseverance and meticulousness. For each batch of powder, the maker must carefully select the ingredients, process them thoroughly and extract them to ensure the correct ratio and process.

After washing the fresh turmeric, the skin is scraped off and put into a blender, the pulp is separated for about 10 minutes and then put into a filter system to remove impurities. After letting the turmeric powder settle for about 7 - 8 hours, it is filtered many more times to remove impurities, especially turmeric oil. Next, the batches of turmeric will be put into cold drying for about 3 - 5 days (temperature 19 - 20 degrees Celsius) to let the turmeric starch dry slowly while still ensuring the characteristic flavor and inherent nutrients.

On average, the production facility owned by Ms. Thu Hang produces 25kg of pure turmeric starch per day (from 500kg of fresh turmeric). Compared to similar products on the market, the facility's turmeric starch has a relatively competitive price (400,000 VND/box/kg).

Each year, the facility produces about 1.8 tons of turmeric starch with revenue of 650 - 700 million VND (not including 400 million VND from other product lines); creating stable jobs for 4 - 5 workers with an average income of 6 million VND/person/month. Not only in the province, the facility's products are distributed to many provinces and cities across the country.

The slogan throughout the facility is "Your satisfaction with quality is our happiness"

Since 2022, Ms. Thu Hang has invested more than 300 million VND to expand the factory, purchase more machinery such as: fine grinder, continuous grinder, packaging machine, continuous stamping machine to improve the product. In June 2023, Thu Hang's turmeric starch product was recognized by Huong Son district as a 3-star OCOP product.

The product has also won many awards at competitions organized by the district and province. In particular, Thu Hang's turmeric starch product also won an award at the 2022 Ha Tinh Province Creative Women's Startup Ideas Competition.

Currently, the facility is providing many main product lines, including: pure turmeric starch (OCOP product), pure turmeric powder; cereals for the elderly, people gaining weight, people losing weight; Polygonum multiflorum; wild sim (fresh, dried); turmeric honey pills... With the consistent goal of "Your satisfaction with quality is our happiness", the facility always puts product quality first, saying no to additives to bring consumers the best and safest products.

In the scoring round in June 2023, Thu Hang pure turmeric starch is the only product in the area recognized by Huong Son district as meeting 3-star OCOP standards. This will be a stepping stone for the facility to continue to develop and bring the product further; thereby, not only increasing economic efficiency, creating income for farmer members, but also indirectly creating jobs for many workers in the localities.

Mr. Le Dinh Phuoc

Vice President of Huong Son Farmers Association

Hoai Nam

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/khoi-nghiep/cu-nhan-kinh-te-bien-cay-nghe-thanh-san-pham-ocop-3-sao/252812.htm