Dragon fruit trees in Dai Tu fields

Việt Nam•04/06/2024

Over the years, the government of Dai Tu commune (Yen Lac district) has implemented many models applying science and technology to farming; encouraging people to switch from inefficient crop structures to higher-yielding, high-value crops on the same cultivated area, helping people increase their income and stabilize their lives. Among these, red-fleshed dragon fruit is a prime example of economic efficiency.

In 2020, the family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Thom, from Tam Ky 56 village, was one of the first households in Dai Tu commune to pioneer the conversion from purely vegetable farming to cultivating higher-income crops such as cantaloupe, watermelon, and especially red-fleshed dragon fruit on a 4,000 m2 plot.

To cultivate 260 red-fleshed dragon fruit plants, Ms. Thơm's family invested in a modern drip irrigation system and strictly adhered to VietGAP-compliant farming practices. Thanks to proper care and the well-suited soil, the dragon fruit plants bore fruit quickly. In the first harvest, her family earned 30 million VND from the dragon fruit.

The family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Thom, in Dai Tu commune (Yen Lac district), converted their low-yield rice and vegetable farming land to growing red-fleshed dragon fruit, bringing in hundreds of millions of dong in income each year.

Ms. Thom said: “A few years ago, our family grew rice and vegetables seasonally, but the income was low and our economic situation didn't improve. We switched to growing red-fleshed dragon fruit, which is easy to grow, less susceptible to pests and diseases, and yields higher productivity and income than other crops.”

This year's harvest is expected to fetch a price of around 25,000 - 30,000 VND/kg for red-fleshed dragon fruit at the farm. With an estimated yield of 4 tons of fruit, harvested from May to November, Ms. Thơm's family will earn approximately 100 million VND.

Three years ago, noticing that the income from red-fleshed dragon fruit was significantly higher than that of other common crops, Mr. Ngo Van Thinh in Tam Ky 56 village invested in a small-scale trial planting. During the planting process, he found that although the initial investment was higher than other crops, the economic benefits were far superior.

According to Mr. Thinh, red-fleshed dragon fruit is a variety that is resistant to pests and diseases, drought-tolerant, suitable for many types of soil, and a perennial crop. It only takes 12-18 months of care for the dragon fruit plants to yield a harvest, with productivity increasing year after year. Currently, traders come directly to the orchards to purchase the fruit, so there are no concerns about market demand or price.

After a period of planting and monitoring the growth process, Mr. Thinh's family plans to rent additional agricultural land from neighboring households to expand the area for growing red-fleshed dragon fruit to 4,000 square meters.

Recognizing the economic benefits of this crop, many households in the area have converted their unproductive gardens and low-yield agricultural land to cultivate red-fleshed dragon fruit, opening up a new direction and providing a stable source of income, contributing to improved economic efficiency in agricultural and rural development.

According to Nguyen Dinh Vien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dai Tu commune: After the locality completed the land consolidation program with more than 300 hectares, the crop structure in the area shifted towards linking production with the consumption of agricultural products; people are increasingly introducing new high-yield and high-quality crop varieties into the fields and applying scientific and technological advancements in cultivation, establishing traceability codes for some products in the area such as grafted tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, leafy vegetables, etc.

Specifically for red-fleshed dragon fruit, in some villages with suitable agricultural land, the local authorities encourage and facilitate people to switch to other crops, gradually making this variety an agricultural product that helps develop the economy for households in the area.

In 2024, Dai Tu commune strives to successfully complete its socio-economic development tasks, focusing on several targets such as achieving an average per capita income of over 67 million VND, reducing the poverty rate to 0.51%, reaching 85.5% of the workforce receiving training, achieving 100% of households using hygienic water, and achieving 92% of households using clean water according to national standards...

To achieve the above objectives, local authorities continue to promote public awareness campaigns to ensure people plant crops according to the correct seasonal schedule; and introduce high-yielding, high-quality, and economically valuable crop varieties into production.

In coordination with associations, organizations, and specialized agencies of the province, we provide training and transfer of scientific and technical knowledge to the people, as well as applying VietGAP standards in planting and caring for crops, improving product quality and meeting market demands.

At the same time, continue to direct the development of concentrated commodity production areas according to VietGAP standards and OCOP products, promote clean and sustainable agricultural production, and gradually build brands and enhance the value of local agricultural products.

Text and photos: Ngoc Lan

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