Macadamia trees take root in rice paddy soil.

Boldly pioneering the transition from traditional crops to macadamia nut cultivation has helped Mr. Le Xuan Cuong's family in Zone 3, Ban Nguyen commune, to become wealthy. Dubbed the "queen of dried fruits," dried macadamia nuts boast a delicious flavor and high nutritional value, making them popular with consumers. This confirms the correct path taken by this veteran farmer who has spent his life working the land.

Macadamia nuts are dried in the shade, away from direct sunlight, to ensure product quality.

Ban Nguyen is a newly merged commune formed from three communes: Cao Xa, Vinh Lai, and Ban Nguyen. It was once a fertile and prosperous area, the main rice granary of the former Phu Tho province. Despite years of traditional rice and vegetable farming, Mr. Cuong decided in 2011 to convert his rice fields and orchards to macadamia nut cultivation. This was a relatively new crop for nuts in the province at that time. Driven by passion, Mr. Cuong independently researched and learned the techniques for growing this "unusual" crop. He brought nearly 200 macadamia seedlings from the Forestry Seed Research Center in Ba Vi and planted them on an area of ​​6,000 square meters in the Dong Duong area of ​​the former Vinh Lai commune.

His decision initially raised doubts among many villagers. “Growing rice is hard work and doesn’t yield high income, but it’s familiar. No one here dared to grow macadamia nuts because they feared the soil and climate conditions wouldn’t suit them,” Mr. Cuong recounted. However, with perseverance and faith in the economic potential of macadamia trees, he overcame the initial difficulties. After three years of care, the trees began to bear fruit. By the fifth year, the trees achieved stable yields, bringing in a promising first harvest. Each tree yielded about 10 kg of dried nuts, with an average selling price of 250,000 VND/kg. Thus, on his initial 6,000 ^m² plot, he earned hundreds of millions of VND annually, many times more than growing rice.

Mr. Le Xuan Cuong invested in a machine for drying macadamia nuts, contributing to improving product quality.

Recognizing the potential of macadamia trees, Mr. Cuong continued to expand his planting area to 1.5 hectares with over 300 trees, of which about 200 are already yielding a stable harvest. On average, each hectare brings in a profit of about 250 million VND after deducting expenses. Not stopping at cultivation, he also invested in modern machinery such as shelling machines, nut sorting machines, and drying machines to improve product quality. Macadamia trees do not require overly complicated care techniques, but attention must be paid to cross-pollination to increase the fruit setting rate. After harvesting, the nuts are dried and spread evenly on the floor or in a covered area, away from direct sunlight to ensure quality. Dried nuts can be stored for a long time without spoiling, which is a great advantage when bringing them to market.

However, macadamia cultivation also faces many challenges. Rice paddy soil tends to retain water and is prone to flooding, while macadamia requires well-drained soil. Mr. Cuong overcame this by improving the soil, digging drainage ditches, and applying organic fertilizer before planting. The cold winter in the North, with temperatures sometimes below 12°C, can affect the flowering stage (February-March). To minimize risks, he applies regular irrigation and balanced fertilization. In addition, macadamia trees are susceptible to falling over during the rainy season due to poorly developed taproots, requiring farmers to intercrop or create windbreaks.

Mr. Le Xuan Cuong's macadamia nut farming model not only yields high economic returns but also contributes to improving inefficient rice paddy land, reducing flooding, and promoting sustainable agricultural development. At the end of 2024, his family's dried macadamia nuts were recognized as meeting OCOP 3-star standards, promising to become a prominent brand and opening up opportunities for farmers in the commune to replicate this crop conversion model and achieve sustainable wealth.

Hong Nhung

Source: https://baophutho.vn/cay-mac-ca-bam-re-tren-dat-lua-237463.htm