In July 2023, Mr. Le Trung Truc (61 years old, residing in Binh Thuy hamlet, Binh Quoi commune, Chau Thanh district, Long An province) stopped growing dragon fruit and switched to growing grapes in greenhouses, creating a "unique" agricultural model in the district.
Chau Thanh District ( Long An ) is known nationwide as the capital of dragon fruit growing land. In recent years, the price of this fruit has dropped so low that at times it cannot be consumed, so farmers have switched to experimenting with suitable plant varieties.
Pioneer in growing grapes instead of dragon fruit
This has surprised and delighted many local people. Although many gardeners support the experiment, many individuals have discussed and calculated that it will easily fail and lose all their capital.
Mr. Le Trung Truc's vineyard in Binh Quoi commune, Chau Thanh district, planted on dragon fruit land, has yielded results. Photo: Thien Long.
Despite public opinion, Mr. Truc and his children were determined to do it to the end, both experimenting and wanting to " discover " growing a strange fruit that no one in the district had dared to think of.
Exploiting an area of 1,500 square meters of high mound land, Mr. Truc invested in building 500 square meters of greenhouse, installing a drip irrigation and fertilizer system, with a total cost of up to 200 million VND.
He has invested in testing 300 grape trees from Binh Thuan with varieties such as: Ancient purple grapes, candy grapes, milk grapes; Jesmine grapes and Bai Lay grapes from Korea to test on the land that has been growing dragon fruit for decades.
At the time he bought it, the average price of each grape tree was 150,000 VND. His family hired a vehicle to bring it to a greenhouse where the seedlings had been prepared and placed.
Mr. Truc's son and his family take care of the vineyard in Binh Quoi commune, Chau Thanh district, Long An province. Photo: Thien Long.
Inside the greenhouse, he designed a trellis about 2 meters high and applied a professional cultivation process. Each grape variety requires its own care techniques, from light, humidity to pruning and harvest time.
Mr. Truc researches and applies modern techniques such as automatic irrigation and organic fertilizers to gradually perfect the new agricultural production model.
New future opens up for gardeners
On the afternoon of December 30, Dan Viet reporter talked with the garden owner, Mr. Truc said that after 12 months of care, the results can be enjoyed deliciously.
The first harvest of the "easy to grow, high-priced" fruit was more than 200kg, with an average price of 120,000 VND/kg, he earned 24 million VND. The second crop of fruit will increase the output to nearly 500kg, purchased at the garden for 80,000 VND to 120,000 VND/kg.
Grapes at harvest time cost 120,000 VND/kg in the garden of Mr. Truc, a grape farmer in Binh Quoi commune, Chau Thanh district, Long An province. Photo: Thien Long
After Tet, he started his third bumper crop, earning over 100 million VND in just over a year with a modest area of land. This result is considered a victory for his first season of gardening.
"Grapevines can live up to 12 years. If well cared for, after 3 years, each tree can produce 15 to 30kg of fruit per year. The family continues to choose grape varieties suitable for the land to ensure high productivity and good quality. In the future, I will expand to my land," Mr. Truc shared.
Many dragon fruit farmers in Chau Thanh district came to see the results, and at the same time they wanted to apply it to the land where dragon fruit cultivation is no longer attractive.
The vineyard owner informed that during the fruit ripening season, visitors can come to visit, enjoy the grapes right in the garden, admire the beautiful bunches of grapes, then choose the bunch of grapes they like to buy and take home.
The future prospects for the vineyard promise to continue to enrich the local economy and create opportunities for tourism development.
According to the People's Committee of Binh Quoi Commune, Chau Thanh District (Long An Province), Mr. Truc's family started with spontaneous ideas, but the grape growing model is bringing positive results.
The government will support irrigation systems and care techniques. In the coming time, the commune will focus on transferring science and technology, supporting farmers to improve the quality of agricultural products, and creating many new models for farmers to develop production.
Source: https://danviet.vn/bo-cay-thanh-long-ong-nong-dan-long-an-lieu-trong-nho-cay-leo-gian-mien-man-ca-lang-mat-mat-20241230120105026.htm
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