Looking for sweet fruit on the mountain

At the end of March, the sun shines on the custard apple orchards on the rocky mountains in Vo Nhai. Taking advantage of the rare dry days in the spring weather, farmers diligently clean up and cut down the remaining custard apple orchards. Unlike previous years, this year, many households intensively cultivate custard apples in separate crops, so the time to cut custard apple trees is later. However, the amount of custard apple harvest is still better than a year. Preparing to enter a new promising custard apple season, everyone is excited because over the years, custard apple trees have become a source of wealth for many households here.

Intensive custard apple cultivation brings Vo Nhai custard apple growers higher income.

Intensive cropping, increased revenue

In November 2021, the spread-crop custard apple intensive farming model began to be implemented by the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center in La Hien and Phu Thuong communes (Vo Nhai) and was very positively received by the people. Ms. Dam Phuong Thao, Mo Ga hamlet, shared: If the old intensive farming method is maintained, there will never be a breakthrough. Therefore, having the opportunity to participate in such a promising model, custard apple growers here are very excited.

With the support of agricultural extension officers, after 3 years of implementation (the model ends in November 2024), 3 hectares of custard apples of 8 households participating in the model have achieved very positive results. By properly implementing technical measures in care, pruning, artificial pollination and fruit orientation in custard apple trees, households have achieved the set goal of harvesting many fruit crops during the year. Specifically, the early ripening crop in July (from 25-30% of output); the main ripening crop in August and September (55-65% of output); the late ripening crop in October and November (10-15% of output).

When implementing the spread-crop custard apple intensive farming model, the application of synchronous technical measures has increased soil fertility, helped custard apple trees grow well, thereby increasing productivity, quality, extending harvest time and increasing tree life... Accordingly, the model has provided custard apple products of higher quality than conventional production, extending harvest time from July to November, increasing product value by 10% or more.

With the amount of fruit produced being large and uniform, beautiful in appearance, more fragrant and sweet, the selling price of custard apples in early and late seasons is at least 5,000 - 10,000 VND/kg higher than the main season. In 2024 alone, each hectare of custard apples in the spread season will bring in more than 460 million VND, excluding material costs; the profit is nearly 328 million VND, 123 million VND higher than normal production and 31 million VND higher than in 2023.

The sweet fruit seasons in Vo Nhai have become known to many people through online sales on social networking sites.

It is worth mentioning that from the first 8 households, up to now, intensive cultivation of custard apples has been widely replicated in the district. Learning from previous households, people have proactively intensively cultivated custard apples in the right way, ensuring good growth and development of the tree, while bringing in higher economic value than before.

Mr. Nguyen Ta, Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, said: Custard apple growers have changed their thinking, applying science and technology to production to bring higher economic efficiency. This is the inevitable trend for Thai Nguyen to move towards a sustainable agriculture , improving productivity and value of agricultural products in general and custard apple products in particular.

Welcoming the new crop

There are only about 4 months left until the first harvest of custard apples of this year's crop. Vo Nhai custard apple growers are focusing on the post-harvest care steps. Ms. Dinh Thi Phan, Truc Mai hamlet, Lau Thuong commune (Vo Nhai) said: After harvest, custard apple trees are often very weak due to the loss of many nutrients during the fruit-growing process. To help the trees recover, we prune the branches and create a canopy for the custard apples. Then we clean up the garden to make it airy, limiting the existence of fungi and diseases.

The work of pruning, trimming, and cleaning the custard apple orchard is quite hard, but the hard-working farmers still work diligently every day. For them, the greatest joy is that after just a few days of pruning, when the weather is favorable, each green sprout has begun to sprout from the branches. It is expected that in the next few weeks, the trees will grow green and begin to bloom.

Currently, the model of intensive cultivation of custard apples in different seasons has been widely replicated in the province.

When the flowers bloom, farmers embark on a new journey of care. In the past, when science and technology were not yet mastered, flower pollination occurred naturally, so the custard apples were unevenly large and small, resulting in low productivity. However, for more than 10 years now, households have proactively pollinated the custard apples. Therefore, each custard apple garden produces large, round, and even fruits. After days of hard work, the custard apple trees bear fruit, grow quickly, and usually produce the first ripe fruit in late July and early August (the area of ​​intensive custard apple cultivation with scattered crops will produce fruit about 2 to 3 weeks earlier).

Ms. Dam Phuong Thao: The harvesting process is quite hard, especially in custard apple orchards on high mountains. To reduce labor, many households in La Hien, Lau Thuong, Phu Thuong... have pooled money together to make pulleys to bring baskets full of custard apples that have just opened their round eyes down from the mountain in just a "jiffy". After that, the custard apples will be loaded onto motorbikes and cars and sent to many places to serve consumer needs.

According to the elders, custard apples have been grown on Vo Nhai rocky mountain for up to 60 years. Over the years, custard apples have increasingly affirmed their position as the main crop of this mountainous district. Up to now, the district has nearly 700 hectares of custard apples, of which 200 hectares are certified to be produced according to VietGAP standards.

Stretching from La Hien to Lau Thuong, Dinh Ca town, up to Phu Thuong, around Trang Xa through Dan Tien to Phuong Giao... everywhere you can see custard apple gardens waking up after many days of winter "sleep". So a new custard apple intensive growing season has begun. To have sweet fruit seasons, bringing in a lot of money for farmers, they have to go through very hard days. However, the people in the highlands are still happy that year after year, custard apple trees bring higher and higher economic value when in the past 3 years, the output has reached about 6 thousand tons/year, with an average selling price of 15 to 25 thousand VND/kg; many types of custard apples can be brought to the market at a price of 40-50 thousand VND/kg...

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202503/di-tim-qua-ngot-tren-nui-dec3882/