Bustling new cinnamon season

Mr. Trieu Ton Liu, from Khe Banh village, Chau Que Ha commune, said: "Cinnamon prices are currently fluctuating from 17,000 to 20,000 VND/kg for fresh bark; from 40,000 to 45,000 VND/kg for dried bark; and from 65,000 to 70,000 VND/kg for dried cinnamon bark shavings... Although cinnamon prices are not much better than in 2024, this is the main source of income, so families still have to harvest to provide for their children's education and daily living expenses. In the first cinnamon harvest this year, my family harvested a whole clump and did some more thinning, so the total income from cinnamon bark, wood, and branches and leaves was nearly 100 million VND. Currently, my family is focusing on clearing the branches and leaves to replant the harvested area, to avoid weeds growing and requiring more clearing work. At the same time, replanting immediately also ensures that there are new trees for the next season, providing a source of income later."

Besides households with large areas of hilly land where they can grow a lot of cinnamon, who take advantage of the season to peel and harvest, those with less land are no less busy. They buy fresh cinnamon bark from households that peel and harvest it, creating seasonal jobs for their families. Therefore, these days, the atmosphere of cinnamon harvesting and production in Van Yen is lively and bustling. From the cinnamon forests to every alley, yard, and processing workshop, you can see cinnamon peeling, shredding, and drying everywhere.

Mr. Nguyen Van Xuan, from Tan Thinh village, An Thinh commune, shared: "My family has little hillside land, so we can't grow much cinnamon. Every year during the cinnamon season, I travel to various communes inside and outside the district to buy fresh cinnamon bark, process it, and then resell it to companies and factories for further processing. In general, there's a lot of supply during the season, so besides buying fresh and dried cinnamon bark from people, I also buy trees on the hills and hire people to peel the bark myself... On average, each season my family buys and processes more than 60 tons of fresh cinnamon bark, creating seasonal jobs for family members and 5 local laborers with an income of 4 to 6 million VND per person per month.”

Van Yen currently has over 50,000 hectares of cinnamon cultivation area. Of this, over 30,000 hectares are concentrated in eight communes, including Phong Du Thuong, Phong Du Ha, Xuan Tam, Chau Que Ha, Tan Hop, Dai Son, Vien Son, and Mo Vang, where geographical indications have been established. The area of organic cinnamon certified in Europe and the US is 9,109 hectares, including: Son Ha Spice Company Limited with 2,162 hectares, Olam Vietnam Company Limited with 3,846.8 hectares; and Dai Son commune with 1,000.2 hectares...

Each year, that area yields over 8,000 tons of cinnamon bark, approximately 63,000 tons of cinnamon branches and leaves, and over 51,000 cubic meters of cinnamon wood, generating nearly 1 trillion VND in revenue for the local people and ensuring raw materials for 11 cinnamon essential oil production and distillation factories; nearly 150 businesses, cooperatives, and production and processing facilities for cinnamon products, providing employment for thousands of local workers.

Along with focusing on developing organic cinnamon, cinnamon products are also given careful attention and strict quality control. Examples include cinnamon essential oil, cinnamon powder, cinnamon incense, hand sanitizer, dish soap, and floor cleaner, all meeting ISO standards. Products such as cinnamon sticks, dried cinnamon sticks, and cinnamon powder are guaranteed for export to the EU and US markets. Notably, the district has 48 cinnamon products recognized as OCOP 3-star or higher.

To ensure the sustainable development of cinnamon cultivation in Van Yen, the district annually directs relevant departments, organizations, and businesses to coordinate with local authorities to promote and encourage people to balance harvesting rationally during the planting season to maintain stable acreage; focus on investing in the development of cinnamon cultivation in an organic direction, producing sustainable, high-quality cinnamon products to meet the needs of domestic and international markets. At the same time, the district also strengthens promotion and attracts investment for the development, production, and deep processing of cinnamon products...

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