Ningming Star Anise

Ningming Star Anise

　　Star anise has great production potential and a broad future. In daily life, as a high-quality seasoning spice, it can eliminate the fishy smell in meat, boasts a fragrant and pleasant aroma, and is deeply loved by consumers. In medicine, it has effects such as dispelling wind, relieving cough, strengthening kidneys, promoting lactation, and dispelling cold and dampness. Star anise oil can be used as a main ingredient in Ten Drops of Water, as well as in the anti-cancer drug "Pyroxsulam" and the synthetic estrogen hexestrol. In light industry and chemical manufacturing, star anise oil and its deep-processed products such as anethole, anisyl alcohol, and anisyl cyanide serve as premium fragrances, commonly used in making high-end perfumes, soaps, cosmetics, and toothpaste. Industrially, star anise oil can be used as an additive in cyanide-free electroplating and as a filler in coatings. In the early 1990s, a new generation of star anise deep-processed product—star anise essence—was introduced and obtained a national invention patent. It is not only convenient to use and easy to preserve but also more closely related to people’s daily lives. As living standards continue to improve and star anise series products are further developed and utilized, the market for star anise is bound to thrive. Economically, leaf-use forests become productive in 3–5 years, fruit-use forests planted with grafted seedlings become productive in 3–5 years, while those with seed-grown seedlings take 8–10 years, and star anise trees can live for over a hundred years. Therefore, planting star anise is a long-term investment with low input, fast returns, benefiting generations—a century-long plan. The development prospects for star anise are very promising.

　　Ningming is rich in star anise production, with 350,000 mu of star anise forests and an annual output of 5,000 tons of dried fruit. In December 2004, it was named the “Hometown of Star Anise in China” by the National Forestry Department.

　　Ningming County currently has 320,000 mu of star anise forest area, mainly distributed in the townships of Nanan, Tongmian, Bangun, Dong’an, Zhai’an, and state-owned forest farms, with an annual output of around 5,000 tons.