"Forest bounty" harvest season

From star anise forests and cinnamon gardens, ethnic minorities in Binh Lieu have risen to become rich.

Bustling autumn season of picking "forest blessings"

Binh Lieu is a mountainous district with 96% of the population being ethnic minorities. The climate and soil here are suitable for developing forest products, especially star anise and cinnamon. From Tet to the end of March is the star anise harvest season. The star anise forests have tall trunks, many fruits and a high percentage of essential oils. This is a forest product that brings a good income to the people in the mountainous areas here.

Entering April and May, when the anise has faded from the branches, it is also the time for cinnamon harvest. Cinnamon is also a native tree that Binh Lieu people grow intertwined, closely associated with people's lives. On sunny days, people and households peel cinnamon bark, transport it back to scrape, cut and dry it. The characteristic strong aroma of cinnamon spreads throughout the streets. Not only the bark is harvested, but cinnamon branches, roots and leaves are also used to distill essential oils, make medicine and spices. Currently, Binh Lieu has also been developing essential oil products and scented bags from cinnamon.

Here, cinnamon trees have been associated with many generations as "soul mates", as "fortune" of the forest, contributing significantly to the work of eliminating hunger, reducing poverty and getting rich. Many families consider cinnamon as precious "green gold", a "reserve" for their descendants for generations to come.

Ms. La Thi Bang, Ban Chuong village, Luc Hon commune, just walked into the forest to scrape cinnamon, and shared with reporters that cinnamon trees can be harvested many times, from the bark to the trunk and leaves. Currently, her family still has about 1 hectare of cinnamon forest for harvesting.

“On average, a person can peel more than 40kg of cinnamon bark every day. Since the beginning of the season, my family has harvested and sold nearly 30 million VND worth of cinnamon. Income from cinnamon helps me and many other families cover daily expenses and send our children to school. This year, my family will continue to plant more than 10,000 cinnamon trees to both green the forest and increase family income.”

Entering April and May, when the anise has faded from the branches, it is also the time for cinnamon harvest.

Planning is needed for sustainable development.

In Huc Dong commune, about 50% of households are growing cinnamon and anise with a total area of ​​over 1,000 hectares. The income from the forest is stable, and cinnamon and anise that are well cared for will yield high yields. The family of Mr. Chieu Tac Lo, Su Cau hamlet, Huc Dong commune, has 4 hectares of cinnamon and anise. The income from cinnamon and anise has brought high economic efficiency to the family every year. "My family has had an income of about 500 million VND from the last three cinnamon and anise crops. I think the income from cinnamon and anise is quite stable, if we take care of them well, we will achieve high yields," Mr. Lo added.

In fact, Binh Lieu people can earn hundreds of millions of VND/ha, some families earn billions of VND/year from cinnamon and star anise. The locality is also making efforts to improve the quality and value of cinnamon and star anise products through processing, branding and aiming to develop eco-tourism and community.

According to the report of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Lieu district, the area of ​​aniseed forests is over 8 thousand hectares; accounting for 28.6% of the total forest area of ​​the district. The average dry aniseed output in the past 3 years has reached over 800 tons, costing about 120 billion VND/year. The area of ​​cinnamon forests is about 680 hectares, accounting for 2.2% of the total forest area of ​​the district. The annual harvest is over 390 tons of dry cinnamon bark, costing about 39 billion VND/year.

“To improve the productivity and quality of cinnamon and star anise in the coming time, Binh Lieu district will strengthen propaganda, mobilization, training and transfer of science and technology on intensive cultivation of star anise and cinnamon in an organic direction; attract businesses to cooperate with local people, invest in essential oil processing facilities to increase product value; propose the Department of Science and Technology to carry out the task of building geographical indications for Quang Ninh star anise”, Ms. Le Thi Thu Huong, Head of the Department of Agriculture of Binh Lieu district emphasized.

Dong Hai Cooperative increases income for salt farmers

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/mua-hai-loc-rung-1718699990471.htm