The "key" to making Hoai An the "capital" of fruit trees.

Life transformed thanks to fruit trees.

To achieve this "miracle," besides the support of the local government, the dynamism, willingness to learn, and productive labor of the people are key to promoting economic development from agriculture.

In late May, we had the opportunity to return to Go Loi, An Tuong Tay commune (Hoai An district). Hoai An is not only a historical site of patriotism and heroic revolutionary movements, but its people are also very hardworking, diligent, and determined to succeed. Through research and learning, they have transformed this barren land into a renowned fruit-growing "capital," with vast orchards of green pomelos, guavas, oranges, tangerines, durians, avocados, and more, laden with fruit.

Many farmers in Hoai An have become wealthy from growing pomelos and other fruit trees.

Ms. Pham Thi Thu Ha, Chairwoman of the People's Committee of An Tuong Tay commune, enthusiastically shared: "In the past, when mentioning this area, people knew about the delicious Go Loi tea, a product once offered to the king. But now, the locality is also known as the 'capital' of green pomelo in Binh Dinh. Currently, Go Loi green pomelo has been certified as a 3-star OCOP product, bringing high income to many households."

To improve the economic efficiency of this fruit crop, local authorities and residents are gradually working to establish specialized areas for growing high-quality fruit for export to major markets.

Visiting the 5,000m2 green pomelo orchard, currently in the harvesting stage and meeting VietGAP standards, belonging to elderly farmer Nguyen Minh Suu. He said: Previously, his family mainly grew beans, sesame, corn, etc., with negligible income. With encouragement from the government, his family boldly borrowed capital to invest in planting green pomelos. With the current income, each harvest brings in tens of millions of dong, not only helping the family cover living expenses but also providing capital for further investment.

In the same commune of An Tuong Tay, there is also Mr. Nguyen Tien Trung, 44 years old, who owns a garden with thousands of pomelo trees of the "Nam Roi" and "Da Xanh" varieties, aged 7-10 years. Each year, the garden yields 4-5 tons of "Nam Roi" pomelos and 2-3 tons of "Da Xanh" pomelos, bringing in 150-170 million VND.

According to Mr. Trung, this area used to be a low-lying hilly region, which he and several other households had reclaimed to grow crops. However, seeing that pomelos and other fruit trees were suitable for the soil, he boldly invested in planting them. Thanks to proper care and techniques, the pomelo trees thrived, producing large, sweet fruits that were very popular with customers, providing his family with a decent income and allowing them to build a spacious house.

Besides tea, green-skinned pomelos from Hoai An have been certified under the OCOP program, along with many other agricultural products.

Meanwhile, Mr. Dang Van Cap (74 years old, An Tuong Dong commune) chose to intercrop avocados, durians, and many other fruit trees on his 12-hectare plot, earning over 200 million VND annually. Currently, Mr. Cap is one of the farmers with the largest area of ​​fruit tree cultivation in Hoai An district.

According to Mr. Cap, in the past, this area only knew how to grow acacia trees. After doing some research, he switched to planting about 1,000 coconut trees. After caring for them for a few years, the coconut trees bore abundant fruit, bringing in hundreds of millions of dong in income each year.

"Once the coconut trees were established, noticing there was still plenty of empty land, I planted avocados, durians, Thai jackfruit, and even pepper plants interspersed among the coconut trees. Currently, the durians and avocados are bearing abundant fruit and promise to bring high income from this fruit orchard," Mr. Cap said.

In An Nghia commune, Mr. Nguyen Minh is one of the leading growers of Siamese coconuts, Thai jackfruit, and green pomelos, earning hundreds of millions of dong annually. According to Mr. Minh, the fruit tree cultivation model is developing very strongly in the locality. Those who succeed in growing fruit trees provide technical support to other households. Fruit trees not only help people escape poverty but also provide them with savings. Currently, regarding technical care, farmers receive support from the District Agricultural Extension Center, and the commune People's Committee has signed contracts with stable buyers, so they don't have to worry about the market.

Taking the brand further

It can be affirmed that orchards have contributed to reducing the number of poor households and changing the face of the heroic land of Hoai An. Many families, starting from nothing, have escaped poverty, built beautiful houses, and purchased expensive items thanks to fruit cultivation. What makes Hoai An's fruits so special is not only their sweet and fragrant quality, but also the way they are planted, cared for, and harvested.

According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Khuc, Chairman of the Hoai An District People's Committee, fruit farms in the district are doing very well in food safety and hygiene. Currently, 100 hectares of land and orchards meet VietGAP and organic standards.

The Hoai An fruit brand is becoming increasingly well-known.

According to Mr. Khuc, since the beginning of the year, Hoai An district has exported over 1,700 tons of pomelo, 245 tons of avocado, 175 tons of jackfruit, more than 18,000 tons of coconut, and other agricultural products to the market. Many agricultural products from Hoai An district have established a strong position in the market and are favored by customers inside and outside the province, especially green-skinned pomelo.

“The district has completed its production planning, especially the planning of specialized fruit-growing areas covering nearly 1,500 hectares. In addition, the district has invested over 100 billion VND in infrastructure, electricity, irrigation works, etc., in the planned fruit-growing areas to ensure people can produce with peace of mind,” Mr. Khuc added.

Hoai An district has also established specialized agricultural cooperatives to participate in the product consumption chain. It continues to enhance the competitiveness and recognition of Hoai An's agricultural products by continuing to register for industrial property rights protection for local products. It also strengthens the application of scientific and technological advancements in production, coupled with investment in infrastructure development, especially the consolidation and construction of irrigation systems, roads, and electricity systems.

The agricultural fair is one of the opportunities to promote the image of Hoai An fruits to consumers both domestically and internationally.

In addition, every two years, Hoai An district organizes a large-scale agricultural product festival to promote and introduce the district's agricultural products to organizations and individuals inside and outside the province; to invite and connect with businesses to participate in signing investment agreements for buying, selling, producing, and consuming agricultural products in the area, ensuring they meet quality and food safety standards, thereby increasing product value and finding stable and sustainable markets for the products.

Binh Dinh: Opening Ceremony of the 2nd Hoai An District Agricultural Products Festival

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/chia-khoa-dua-hoai-an-tro-thanh-thu-phu-cay-an-trai-1718122225414.htm