Bustling turmeric starch making profession in Nghia Dan

Ms. Tran Thi Thuy, in Son Nam hamlet, Nghia Son commune (Nghia Dan) has been making turmeric essence for 4 years now. Previously, she made 10 - 20 tons each year, but since investing in a centrifuge system to squeeze, replacing human labor, she makes 40 - 50 tons of fresh turmeric each year.

"The turmeric starch making business is busiest from December to March every year. Last year, my family made about 20 tons of fresh turmeric, and there were fewer customers. This year, it's only the beginning of the season, but many people have already placed orders. Turmeric starch is mainly consumed in winter and spring, and is used to treat intestinal diseases as well as for beauty purposes," said Ms. Tran Thi Thuy.

Instead of squeezing by hand as before, artisans in Son Nam hamlet, Nghia Son commune (Nghia Dan) have invested in squeezing machines, so the capacity has increased 4-5 times. Photo: Dinh Thuy

According to those who make turmeric starch, this is a job that requires meticulousness, many steps and ensuring cleanliness from the beginning for the product to have prestige. After settling, turmeric starch must not be exposed to sunlight because sunlight will destroy the amount of Curcumin in turmeric starch. Therefore, turmeric starch must be dried with a fan and under a light bulb.

Although it is hard work, the efficiency of making turmeric starch is many times higher than selling fresh roots. The price of turmeric starch ranges from 300,000 - 400,000 VND/kg depending on the type of turmeric; after deducting expenses, each year households making the profession earn from 50 million to 300 million VND.

The final step is to settle the turmeric starch before drying it. Photo: Dinh Thuy

In Son Nam hamlet, there are 10 households specializing in making turmeric, in which women are the main force. To support each other, women have joined together to help each other with labor, so they work more productively than working individually.

Ms. Tran Thi Thao, a member of the group, shared: Compared to other families, my family started making turmeric later, but thanks to joining the group, we learned from experience, so the quality of turmeric is guaranteed, and the products are favored by the market. Each batch of turmeric is about 60 - 80 kg, if you do it alone, it will take a whole week, when the sisters in the group help each other, today working for this person, tomorrow working for another person, it is convenient for grinding and filtering and shortens the production time.

Each season, Son Nam turmeric village produces more than 300 tons of fresh turmeric. According to the locals, in previous years they often had to buy more turmeric from the North, but this year people in the district grow a lot of turmeric so the main input is local raw materials.

In recent years, Nghia Dan farmers have introduced turmeric into intercropping and replacing some ineffective crops. Turmeric is grown from the garden to the fields and on the mountains; concentrated in Nghia Dan town, Nghia Hong, Nghia Son, Nghia Binh communes...

Curcumin powder in Nghia Dan is popular with many consumers. Photo: Dinh Thuy

In Nghia Dan town, the area of ​​turmeric cultivation not only replaces ineffective crops, but is also intercropped with citrus areas. Therefore, the amount of turmeric tubers is abundant, many households in the town have developed the profession of making turmeric starch, which is much more economically efficient than previous professions. Currently,Workers are also busy producing to serve customers in time.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung - Vice President of the Women's Union of Nghia Dan district, the turmeric starch making profession is learned from each other and expanded, mainly concentrated in Nghia Son commune and Nghia Dan town. Women support each other in terms of capital, experience, and output; however, in the long term, they want to build a brand to ensure stable product output.