Story about Duc Pho Durian Advisory Group

Advisory group members discuss dry season irrigation for durian trees

• GARDEN ENGINEER AS CONSULTANT

Mr. Le Doan Loi - Vice Chairman of Duc Pho Commune People's Committee, Da Huoai District is very proud to "show off" about the changes of Duc Pho: "From a commune with many difficulties, with the main crop being cashew trees with unstable productivity and low income, Duc Pho has now become a commune with a fairly good economy with an area of ​​fruit trees replacing cashew trees. In particular, to support farmers in converting crops, from mixed gardens to high-yield crops such as durian and mangosteen, we have formed a technical advisory team specializing in advising people on techniques. Our advisory team is made up of agricultural engineers, good farmers, very responsible and attached to the people".

Mr. Nguyen Van Long, the owner of the durian garden harvesting in Village 1, Duc Pho Commune, is a technical officer of the Southern Seed Company, who has been working in many areas across Vietnam for many years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Long "returned to the garden" and converted 2 hectares of rice fields into a Monthon durian garden. And during the 2025 durian season, the garden yielded a harvest of over 10 tons. Not only is he an engineer - farmer who enriches himself, Mr. Long is also an enthusiastic member of the technical advisory team organized by the Duc Pho Commune Farmers' Association. Many durian cultivation techniques that Mr. Long has applied in his home garden have been transferred to farmers in the area. Mr. Long shared: "Durian is a very difficult tree, requiring special care. With my own experience applied in Duc Pho land, I am willing to transfer it to farmers. My family's garden is also a place for people to come and learn techniques for planting and caring for durian."

Mr. Le Doan Loi said that not only Mr. Nguyen Van Long, the advisory team has 12 members, including 3 good farmers, 6 agricultural engineers and 3 commune officials. The new agricultural knowledge and production experience of the team members have contributed greatly, supporting farmers to switch from mixed gardens to high-yield specialized gardens.

• DEDICATED CONSULTATION - BUILDING DURIAN EXPORT AREA

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Quang, a good farmer in Hamlet 1, Duc Pho Commune, prepares tea every morning to welcome people to his garden to drink water and exchange techniques on durian care. He said that from caring for and renovating old durian gardens to planting new durian trees, people come to the garden to visit and exchange information on varieties, tree diseases, and fertilizers. As the first person in Duc Pho Commune to cultivate durian on a large scale, Mr. Quang became a member of the technical advisory group for people in the village and commune. Based on practical knowledge of the soil and terrain in the commune as well as 18 years of experience in growing durian, Mr. Quang is a very active member of the advisory group.

“The advisory group holds monthly meetings, members discuss the growth period of durian trees, emerging issues that need to be resolved, and provide guidance to farmers. Not only do we hold meetings, we are also willing to go to farmers' gardens when they inform us about the disease situation on durian trees. Many farmers from far away gardens film clips and take photos to send to us, and we also provide effective online advice to farmers,” said Mr. Nguyen Hoang Phi - agricultural extension worker of Duc Pho commune, a member of the advisory group. Mr. Phi also added that the advisory group works entirely in the spirit of serving the community, providing free advice to farmers without receiving any funds. The members of the group are all farmers with gardens, good farmers, exchanging and sharing knowledge with the goal of building a sustainable durian area without receiving money or support.

“Our Duc Pho commune has been slower to access durian trees than other traditional durian areas in the province. Therefore, we have only reached 200 hectares of fruit trees of all kinds and are encouraging farmers to convert low-yield cashew land to grow fruit trees, including durian. We are actively building export durian area codes for Duc Pho durian, creating a stable output for agricultural products,” Mr. Le Doan Loi informed.

The contributions of good farmers and agricultural engineers in the consulting team are helping Duc Pho durian trees take firm root on difficult land.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/kinh-te/202505/chuyen-ve-to-tu-van-sau-rieng-duc-pho-e991932/