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Institute of Scientific and Technical Information, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture, Danzhou 571737, China

1 Current situation of betel nut processing in Hainan Province

1.1InitialprocessingBetel nut is a leisure food with a variety of forms, and it is mainly fresh betel nut and edible betel nut in China[1]. Betel nut has developed into the second largest tropical cash crop in Hainan Province, second only to natural rubber. Betel nut planting and processing industry provides income for more than 400000 farmers in the province, and it has become one of the pillar industries in Hainan Province. The processing of fresh betel nut is initial processing mainly in Wanning City, Qionghai City, Tunchang County, Ding’an County, Qiongzhong County, Lingshui County, and Baoting County. Hainan now has 38 initial processing enterprises (12 in Ding’an; 7 in Qionghai; 6 in Lingshui; 5 in Wanning; 4 in Qiongzhong; 2 in Ledong; 1 in Chengmai; 1 in Baoting). In addition, there are many farmers using the traditional method of flue curing to process betel nut, and they mostly use simple old stove for production. Firstly, the drying technology is backward. The processing scale of farmers is small, and the majority of farmers use simple shed, cooking stoves and other traditional facilities to dry betel nut, and the sanitation conditions are poor, making it difficult to guarantee the product quality and safety. Secondly, the processing energy consumption and costs are high. 80% of traditional facilities use wood as fuel to process betel nut, and 1 t of fresh fruits need to consume 1.7 t of wood, costs up to 1400 yuan, resulting in high processing costs of betel nut. Thirdly, the environmental pollution is serious. The design of traditional earth stove is unreasonable, and it will produce smoke and dust during processing to seriously pollute air. To improve the backward initial processing conditions for betel nut and raise quality and safety levels of betel nuts, Hainan Provincial Department of Agriculture introducedImplementationPlanforBetelNutDryingTransformationGreenProjectinHainanProvince, and shut down some traditional betel nut stove (Table 1). The green stove processing of betel nut has greatly improved fruit quality, perfected processing environment, reduced labor intensity, and alleviated "smoke" pollution from the traditional betel nut curing stove. According to the survey results by Hainan Provincial Department of Agriculture at the end of 2014, Qionghai still had 16461 traditional curing stoves, but most of them were not put to use; Wanning still had 38813 traditional curing stoves, but less than 2000 were in the use. At the end of 2014, the number of traditional curing stoves decreased from 168342 to 86562. Hainan has built 2759 environment-friendly betel nut drying equipments and 222 large and medium-sized production lines, and the annual processing capacity reaches 678000 t (Table 2).

1.2DeepprocessingAlthough betel nut is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, it seldom enters the medicinal herb market, and it is only as fresh food or simply processed into dried betel nut for chewing. The dried betel nut processing is deep processing, and now there are 7 betel nut deep processing enterprises in Hainan Province, 4 in Wanning, 2 in Ding’an and 1 in Chengmai. The 7 enterprises are engaged in betel nut deep processing, and the processing raw materials account for about 10% of yield. Hainan now has 3 large and medium-sized edible betel nut processing plants, with the designed annual processing capacity of 22000 t, but the actual processing capacity is less than 8000 t. Kouweiwang Technology Development Co., Ltd., as a betel nut deep processing enterprise in Wanning City, has a total investment of 480 million yuan, and 17.2 million kg of betel nut raw materials are processed annually. Kouweiwang is engaged in betel nut deep processing, and the products are sold to Guangdong and Hainan, greatly favored by consumers, with the market share of over 80%. Kouweiwang betel nut is the industry’s first high-end brand, and reputed as "China’s First Brand Green Betel Nut".

Table1Traditionalbetelnutcuringstove

Table2Numberofbetelnutgreendryingequipmentandproductioncapacity

RegionsStandardequipmentnumberLargeandmedium-sizedequipmentproductionlinesNumberNumberofcuringstovesSingleproductioncapacity∥tAnnualprocessingcapacity∥tWanningCity222585255014325343800QionghaiCity1539428208919214056TunchangCounty2025750231055440DinganCounty13813390158438016QiongzhongCounty2120063615264LingshuiCounty5515046511160BaotingCounty60018432Total2759222666028257678168

2 Problems in betel nut processing

2.1LaggingofprocessingFor a long time, the dried betel nut deep processing has been mainly in Hunan Province. In Hainan Province, the betel nut is planted by farmers in a dispersed state, and most of the fresh fruits are initially processed into dried fruits in local areas, and then sold to Hunan for deep processing. Hunan’s enterprises control the price trend of betel nut, and the specialized processors in Hainan Province bear a lot of price risks. Thus, Hainan is the origin of betel nut fruit, but the dried fruit prices are determined by Hunan’s deep processing enterprises, and the dried fruit prices affect the fresh fruit prices, easily making the growers difficult to avoid market risks in Hainan Province. The development of betel nut planting industry is rapid in Hainan Province, and the initial betel nut processing industry forms a large scale, while the deep betel nut processing industry lags behind[2]. Due to small deep processing capacity, single processing product and lack of new products, the betel nut products with medicinal and health function are not fully utilized and developed.

2.2SurplusinitialprocessingcapacityBetel nut is planted in various cities and counties of Hainan, and during 2013-2014, the annual betel nut yield was more than 20000 t in Qionghai, Wanning, Sanya and Qiongzhong, and the annual betel nut yield was more than 10000 t in Tunchang, Ding’an, Baoting, Chengmai, Ledong and Lingshui. The betel nut yield in different regions during 2010-2014 is shown in Table 3. From Table 3, it is found that the betel nut yield was 33800 t, 40700 t, 18600 t, 16200 t, 25000 t, 9600 t and 15200 t in Wanning, Qionghai, Tunchang, Ding’an, Qiongzhong, Lingshui and Baoting in 2014, respectively. Based on the betel nut yield in 2014, it is found that the production was not in line with annual processing capacity of existing betel nut green drying equipment, and the initial processing capacity was surplus. The betel nut yield in Hainan Province was 35500 t in 2000, 152100 t in 2010, and 231000 t in 2014. Although betel nut production increases year by year, the annual increase is less than 30000 t. At present, the annual processing capacity of standard green betel nut drying equipment built in Hainan reaches 678000 t, and there are also other betel nut initial processing and production lines, indicating that there is surplus betel nut initial processing capacity in Hainan Province.

2.3UnreasonableinitialprocessinglayoutIn recent years, Hainan has paid special attention to betel nut initial processing capacity building, and there have been 2759 standard green betel nut drying equipments (2 225 in Wanning, accounting for 80.6% in the province; 153 in Qionghai, accounting for 5.5%; 20 in Tunchang, accounting for 0.7%; 138 in Ding’an, accounting for 5.0%; 212 in Qiongzhong, accounting for 7.7%; 5 in Lingshui, accounting for 0.2%; 6 in Baoting, accounting for 0.2%). It has built 6 660 stoves with large and medium-sized production lines (2550 in Wanning, accounting for 38.3%; 2820 in Qionghai, accounting for 42.3%; 750 in Tunchang, accounting for 11.3%; 390 in Ding’an, accounting for 5.9%; 150 in Lingshui, accounting for 2.3%), and there are no stoves with large and medium-sized production lines in Baoting and Qiongzhong. Obviously, the layout of the standard environment-friendly betel nut drying equipments and stoves with large and medium-sized production lines built in Hainan does not match the fresh betel nut yield in various cities and counties, and there is unreasonable initial processing layout. The initial processing layout also does not match the fresh betel nut yield in various cities and counties, which will increase fresh fruit transport costs.

Table3Thebetelnutyieldindifferentregionsduring2010-2014

Unit: 104 t

3 Conclusions and recommendations

3.1ConclusionsIn this paper, we give an overview about the current situation of betel nut processing in Hainan Province and analyze some problems in betel nut industry such as unreasonable initial processing layout, processing capacity surplus, and deep processing industry lag. Relying on the local betel nut resource advantages in Hainan Province, adjusting the initial processing layout of betel nut, moderately developing deep processing, and developing new deeply-processed betel nut products, can help to increase the type of betel nut product. Based on Hainan’s tourism industry needs, it is necessary to develop health food and new tourism products, and build a new pattern featured by rich varieties and good flavor, so as to make betel nut industry become an industry with characteristics from planting to processing, and achieve sustainable development of betel nut industry.

3.2Recommendations

3.2.1Guiding the initial processing layout of betel nut based on local conditions. In 2014, the betel nut harvest area was 65000 ha in Hainan Province, and the dried fruit yield reached 230000 t. With the increase in production of betel nut, the processing industry also continues to develop. It is estimated that the province’s betel nut initial and deep processing enterprises can give jobs for at least 15000 people, and increase farmers’ wage income by nearly 300 million yuan. According to the actual betel nut production in various cities and counties, it is necessary to guide betel nut initial processing layout in Hainan Province based on local conditions, make full of support funds for green betel nut drying equipments and curing stoves to reasonably support betel nut initial processing, enhance the quality of betel nut, improve the processing environment, and avoid waste of betel nut processing equipments and resources. The green betel nut drying equipment and curing stove support funds are mainly for the cities and counties with betel nut yield of more than about 1 t, and the funds can be allocated based on the ratio of 1∶1.5 in accordance with betel nut yield to production capacity.

3.2.2Supporting betel nut deep processing industry. The betel nut deep processing industry in Hainan Province is still in its infancy, with limited degree of market development and low added value of products. A good overall plan should be made for betel nut deep processing in Hainan Province. In the main producing areas, it is necessary to support betel nut deep processing plants, construct betel nut initial processing and deep processing serial production line, and conduct initial processing of fresh fruit and then deep processing, in order to reduce marketing and transport costs during the betel nut processing. The continuous processing line of betel nut deep processing plant is used to process betel nut, so as to closely combine cultivation and production with initial processing and deep processing, and gradually reduce the fruit initial processing implemented by a great number of betel nut workshops in the main producing areas of betel nut to improve betel nut processing quality.

3.2.3Developing new betel nut products. The betel nut deep processing in Hainan Province is still in its infancy, and the betel nut product is developed only as food, with low added value. Based on the actual situation, the government should make good processing plan, change the traditional processing mode, achieve integrated model innovation of betel nut initial and deep processing, support the development of betel nut processing industry and new product development, purposefully support the relevant enterprises and research institutes to accelerate research and development for new betel nut products, establish and improve the industrial chain of betel nut production, processing, research and development and marketing. It is also necessary to open up new areas of betel nut deep processing, and strive to achieve balanced development of upstream and downstream industries and enhance the comprehensive production capacity of industry[3].

3.2.4Improving betel nut processing information service platform. It is necessary to establish information database and market information early warning mechanism concerning betel nut production, processing, transport and marketing, and improve betel nut processing information service platform to provide accurate betel nut production, processing, transport, market and price information for the government, enterprises and farmers, so that farmers grasp the situation of betel nut planting and marketing in a timely manner and avoid the market risk of betel nut industry, to continuously develop betel nut industry, promote the steady growth of processing industry value of betel nut, increase farmers’ income and promote socio-economic development.

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