Phuc Trach commune (Huong Khe, Ha Tinh) has 100% of households growing agarwood trees. People here also make agarwood into spiritual and feng shui meaningful items and sell them at high prices.
For decades, Phuc Trach commune (Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh province) has been known as the capital of agarwood (also known as agarwood, agarwood or agarwood) trees. In this locality, 100% of households grow agarwood. Seen from above, this tree has an average height of 6-20m, all greening the gardens of people’s houses.
According to many people, the soil and climate here are suitable, so the Agarwood tree grows a lot, if planted, it will be easy to care for and grow well. In the past, people did not know the value, so they often cut down wood to build houses. Until about the 1980s, many traders in Thua Thien – Hue, Da Nang, and Quang Nam came to buy. Since then, local people have gradually realized the high value of the Agarwood tree.
Agarwood is a part, injured area of the tree species. In nature, the area of the wound is formed by a broken tree trunk, ants or insects. In the Agarwood mining area, this wound is often caused by human physical impact such as chiseling, drilling, gouging… The wound secretes pus, which resonates with climate and soil factors to form an oil layer.
Over a long period of time, the amount of stem oil accumulates to form agarwood with a characteristic scent. The experience of local residents shows that a Agarwood tree must be more than 10 years old before it can be exploited.
In addition to planting, many Phuc Trach households also opened a factory to manufacture agarwood products at home. The job requires meticulousness. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lan’s family (33 years old, hamlet 8, Phuc Trach commune) has more than 7,000m2 of land to grow agarwood trees, including trees worth hundreds of millions of dong when reaching the age of tens of years.
“The family also manufactures products such as agarwood rings, frankincense and products from the trunk without chemicals for domestic and foreign traders to make medicines, shampoos and perfumes. Every year, we collect about 400-500 million dong,” Lan shared. In the picture is a bracelet product, priced from 1.5 to 8 million.
Ms. Vo Thi Nga (47 years old, hamlet 8, Phuc Trach commune) said that her husband’s family has a tradition of growing agarwood trees and making products from agarwood for nearly 40 years.
Agarwood production and business of Ms. Nga’s family is creating jobs for 8 workers.
“We specialize in the production and supply of incense, agarwood buds, agarwood pieces, agarwood scenes, agarwood rings of all kinds,” Ms. Nga said.
According to folk beliefs, using products from frankincense is meant to bring luck, convenience in business, good health, and peace in the family. Grasping that need, Ms. Nga’s family opened a factory to manufacture agarwood roots into fancy and unique products to serve customers to buy and display in their home. Products as shown in the picture cost up to 150 million.
“It’s not the most expensive product, we used to sell a decades-old agarwood root, which has been crafted for 300 million VND. Many customers from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Binh, Hue, even foreigners. willing to spend money to buy expensive products from agarwood to put in the house for sewing or as gifts. Products from Agarwood trees in Phuc Trach commune are popular with customers because of their sweet fragrance,” Ms. Nga said.
Thanks to the Agarwood tree, households in Phuc Trach commune escaped poverty and changed their lives. They have the money to feed their children, educate themselves, build a beautiful house, and buy a car.
According to Ms. Pham Thi Hanh, Vice Chairman of Phuc Trach Commune People’s Committee, Agarwood trees are grown and distributed in communes of Huong Khe district for natural and artificial agarwood. However, according to practical experience, the Agarwood tree grown in Phuc Trach commune gives a high rate of natural agarwood, so the economic value is also much higher than that in other regions.
Therefore, all 1,700 households of Phuc Trach grow agarwood trees with an area of over 350ha. As a result, the local per capita income in 2022 will reach 56.4 million VND. In 2023, it is expected to reach an average income of 58.1 million VND/person. The development of products from agarwood will be valuable goods to serve tourists in the local tourism development roadmap
($1=24,000 VND)
Photo: Internet (Vinlove.net)