Van Yen district currently has over 11,000 hectares of certified organic cinnamon and is continuing to increase strongly in the near future to target high-end export markets.
Cinnamon value increased by 10-15% thanks to organic production
Van Yen district is considered the cinnamon capital of Yen Bai province with a total area of more than 57,000 hectares, accounting for more than 60% of the cinnamon area of the entire province. Recently, thousands of households in localities in the district have signed with businesses to build organic cinnamon raw material areas to both build product brands and increase income value per farming unit. work.
The land in Vien Son is fertile and suitable for cinnamon trees. However, when planting, in the past people often fertilized with chemical fertilizers. During the care process, people mainly use herbicides to reduce labor. This practice not only affects the health of cinnamon growers, but also destroys the ecological environment and makes selling the product very difficult. Even businesses exporting to high-end markets do not purchase products, and the products are often pressured by traders.
In 2016, Mr. Trang’s family and a number of households in the village were trained and instructed on techniques for growing organic cinnamon by agricultural extension officers and technical staff of Olam Vietnam company. Instead of using fertilizers and pesticides of chemical origin, when applying organic farming, people are supported and guided in choosing seedlings with quality genetic resources. The farming process mainly follows nature, applying organic fertilizers or letting the cinnamon tree grow on its own. People only treat weeds manually or with weed generators.
Vien Son is a highland commune, this place is considered the ancestral land of Van Yen cinnamon trees. Currently, the whole commune has over 900 households, of which 75% are Dao people. Cinnamon has been around for many generations and is the main crop that brings the main income for people. Currently, the entire commune has nearly 2,500 hectares of cinnamon, each year providing the market with over 600 tons of cinnamon bark, more than 4,000 m3 of cinnamon wood and hundreds of tons of essential oil, bringing in an income of nearly 100 billion VND. Since 2010, Vien Son cinnamon region and neighboring communes have been granted geographical indications by the Department of Intellectual Property (Ministry of Science and Technology).
Mr. Ban Phuc Hin – Chairman of Vien Son Commune People’s Committee said that cinnamon is considered the “green gold” tree in the mountains of the people. In recent years, the commune government has coordinated with the agricultural sector and businesses to mobilize and guide people to develop organic cinnamon raw material areas to increase product value and meet the purchasing requirements of farmers. processing and export enterprises.
Currently, the entire commune has over 1,300 hectares of cinnamon certified organic, accounting for more than 50% of the total area. In addition, the locality always focuses on preserving dominant cinnamon trees and perennial cinnamon hills to build seed gardens, providing quality seed sources, and well managing the collection and sowing of cinnamon in the area to provide people with production.
Van Yen is the largest cinnamon granary in the country, growing in a land with pure, fresh air and enjoying unique soil conditions, so Van Yen cinnamon is considered “the highest quality cinnamon mountain”. For a long time, cinnamon has become a familiar crop, bringing a prosperous life to people.
Cinnamon trees bring prosperity to thousands of households in Van Yen district – which is considered the cinnamon capital of Vietnam. Photo: Thanh Tien.
Currently, the total area of cinnamon in Van Yen district is more than 57,000 hectares. In recent years, the district government has directed the agricultural sector to actively mobilize and support people to grow cinnamon in concentrated areas and produce organically. The district coordinates with businesses and units such as NEDSPICE Binh Duong Company, Son Ha Spice Company, Olam Vietnam Company, Forest Protection Research Center (under the Vietnam Academy of Forest Sciences), China Provincial Agricultural Extension Center… has organized training for thousands of farmers on sustainable organic cinnamon production techniques to create quality raw material areas and expand consumption markets.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Quyen – Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Van Yen district, the district’s agricultural sector has directed the grassroots agricultural extension staff to coordinate with local authorities to carry out propaganda, advocacy, training, Transferring technical advances into cinnamon production from selecting seed forests, nursery seedlings, planting, caring for, harvesting and processing products; Mobilize people to produce cinnamon in an organic and sustainable way.
Van Yen district has planned a cinnamon growing area focusing on organic production with an area of over 35,000 hectares. To date, the area of cinnamon certified with organic standards is nearly 11,000 hectares. In addition, in the district, 4 cinnamon value chains have been built, in the chain there is the participation of businesses as a bridge between cooperatives and export markets. The district also promotes the formation of cooperative groups and cooperatives to promote links with farmer households, create raw material areas and close links with businesses in product consumption.
Nurseries choose to source cinnamon seeds from dominant indigenous trees to ensure quality for mass planting. Photo: Thanh Tien.
On average each year, the entire Van Yen district supplies to the market about 6,000 tons of dried cinnamon bark of all kinds, recovers over 65,000 tons of cinnamon branches and leaves and more than 50,000 m3 of cinnamon wood, more than 300 tons of essential oils… Total revenue from products cinnamon reaches over 800 billion VND/year, creating jobs for thousands of workers.
Towards collective organic certification
Mr. Pham Trung Kien – Vice Chairman of Van Yen District People’s Committee said that the district’s goal will be to continue to improve the output and quality of cinnamon products. Step by step towards demanding markets to increase income value for people.
According to Mr. Kien, expanding the organic cinnamon raw material area cannot be done overnight but is a long process from variety selection, intensive farming, care, preliminary processing… Households, production areas To be granted an organic certificate, you must go through a strict process of sampling, analyzing, and testing the buffer zone, soil, water, bark, cinnamon leaves, etc. An independent unit will test to issue a certificate, Yen Bai province supports 100% of the cost to hire a consulting unit to carry out the implementation. In addition, a number of businesses have been signing with people to build their own organic cinnamon raw material areas for export.
To increase export products to high-end markets, Yen Bai has a long-term and methodical plan to build raw material areas. Photo: Thanh Tien.
The change in production method from small-scale production to organic production not only helps increase productivity, quality, and value of cinnamon products, but also helps localities reduce environmental pollution and protect the environment. Protect natural water sources and ensure community health.
In the coming period, the Van Yen district government will continue to focus on building areas specializing in cinnamon cultivation, focusing on communes that have been granted geographical indications, focusing on the production of organic cinnamon and guaranteed cinnamon products. ensuring export standards to high-end markets such as the US, Japan, Korea and European countries.
Currently, organic certification is issued directly to households, however by 2025, organic cinnamon entering the US and EU markets must be collectively certified. Therefore, the requirements for raw material areas will be higher, there must be joint coordination of all households in a production area and cannot be done individually by each household.
In the coming time, local authorities will continue to coordinate with businesses and scientists to propagate and guide people to produce cinnamon to achieve organic certification, striving to build cinnamon areas that meet standards by 2025. internationally with an area of over 15,000 hectares.
