With this in mind, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has organised a workshop entitled, Tram Huong and Do Bau Trees – Real Situations and Developing Solutions.
At the workshop scientists and businesses shared growing and caring methods for these highly valuable trees, including instructions on how to process and distil their essential oils.
One example of prosperity is Huong Khe Village in Ha Tinh Province, where average incomes are between VND20million to VND100million ($1,250 - 6,250), but where some 800 households were able to earn VND16 billion (US$100,000) in 2006.
After ten years many growers are still receiving between VND 1 - 3billion per ha ($62,500 - 187,500). With this kind of incentive, many provinces are attempting to grow these trees, but without the proper knowledge of what kind of care they will need, what kind of market they are getting into or what kind of distilling techniques will be needed, according to experienced growers.
The value of do and tram trees is clear; however, lack of foresight and education in many matters has brought heartache to would-be growers.
Le Van Chat, Chairman of Ha Tinh People’s Committee, said the cost of the trees did not accurately reflect their market value and growers often met with a loss in the market.
Aside from problems in the market, there is still the question of safe and high growing standards. Currently, there are no specific regulations on growing standards, and in 2005 many tram trees died off because of sub-par growing practices.
In addition, people and businesses are also having difficulty extracting and distilling essential oils.
Dinh Xuan Ba, an assistant professor at SECOIN Company, said there were ten enterprises with the ability to distil essential oils, but they all maintained low productivity levels so the goods couldn’t be exported to larger markets such as France, the United States and Japan.
The export market is large and has significant potential if growers can get access to information and make strides within this market