Beautiful hill in Dien Bien, people dare to grow macadamia, unexpectedly the trees are so short that they produce so many fruits, selling delicious nuts and getting rich

Macadamia trees began to take root in Dien Bien in 2013. With its potential and advantages in terms of land and climate, Dien Bien is one of the provinces approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for the Macadamia Development Plan in the Northwest and Central Highlands regions until 2020, with potential for development until 2030.

Up to now, Dien Bien has become the second largest macadamia growing area in the Northwest region with nearly 7,200 hectares.

Macadamia trees now not only help people stabilize their livelihoods but also open up new directions for local agriculture .

As one of the pioneer households in experimental macadamia planting in Tuan Giao district, Mr. La Van Chanh's family in Quai Nua commune, Tuan Giao district (Dien Bien province) once faced many worries.

In the early days, he and his family were wondering how the macadamia trees would grow and what the economic benefits would be. By the sixth year, when the 260 macadamia trees began to flower and bear fruit, his family's hope and patience were well rewarded.

Mr. La Van Chanh recounted that starting in the 6th year when the macadamia garden bore fruit, he sold it for 100,000 VND/kg of fresh fruit.

He sold all the macadamia nuts he harvested. His family was very excited and felt that macadamia trees were much more effective than growing corn or cassava. From the 6th year onwards, the macadamia garden yielded fruit every year, bringing a stable income to the family.

Quai Nua is one of the earliest communes to plant macadamia trees in Tuan Giao district with more than 500 hectares of experimental planting in 2013.

Over more than a decade, macadamia trees have not only affirmed their growth potential but also brought high economic value to local people.

With a stable fresh fruit purchase price of 35,000 - 45,000 VND/kg, macadamia brings a reliable source of income. Many households have earned 80 - 100 million VND per harvest thanks to this tree, creating a strong motivation for sustainable poverty reduction for the people here.

By 2022, realizing the potential and sustainable value of macadamia trees, Tuan Giao district has expanded the planting area and implemented special support policies under the national target program for ethnic minority areas.

Accordingly, each hectare of cultivated land will be provided with more than 200 seedlings and corresponding amounts of fertilizer by the local government, with support lasting for 5 years.

Many hills in Dien Bien are covered with green macadamia trees - the tree that brings wealth to many farming households. Photo: Xuan Tu - VNA.

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quai Nua Commune Lo Van Tuan said that the policy of supporting seeds, fertilizers and techniques has created great motivation for people, especially ethnic minorities, to boldly invest in crops that bring high economic value.

The local government has also resolutely directed the implementation of the conversion of crop structure from ineffective land areas to macadamia cultivation. With the consensus of the people, macadamia trees will continue to grow well and become a poverty alleviation tree for people in the commune.

By the end of 2024, the macadamia growing area in Quai Nua commune had increased to over 1,000 hectares, reaching 129% of the plan. In 2025, many villages in the commune continued to register to plant nearly 100 hectares of new macadamia trees, with over 26,000 trees.

This success demonstrates the determination of the government and people to make macadamia a key crop. In 2025, with a plan to plant nearly 100 hectares, equivalent to more than 26,000 trees, the macadamia development movement is expected to continue to spread strongly.

Besides expanding the area of ​​macadamia trees, processing and trading products from this tree has become an important direction in developing local agricultural economy.

Processed products such as dried macadamia nuts, shelled kernels or macadamia nut oil, etc. have contributed to increasing the value of agricultural products, while expanding the domestic and international consumption markets. In recent years, many households in Tuan Giao have boldly invested in modern machinery such as dryers, shell cutters, capping machines, oil presses, etc. to process finished macadamia products.

Ms. Doan Thi Thoa, owner of Thoa Doan Macadamia Processing Facility (Tuan Giao District) said that on average, each harvest, she will purchase from 80 to 100 tons of fresh fruit from macadamia growers in the district. After the process of drying, de-shelling, each kilogram of dried macadamia nuts has a market price of 500,000 - 1 million VND, affirming the high economic value and sustainable development potential of this tree.

Processing activities not only help increase income from macadamia trees but also create stable jobs for many local workers.

Steps such as drying, sorting, and packaging of products provide employment opportunities for many households and small businesses.

Thanks to that, people's income has also improved significantly. This income level has partly helped many workers in Tuan Giao district escape from the situation of unstable income when cultivating corn and cassava on infertile land.

According to the Agricultural Development Plan, Dien Bien province strives to reach 90,000 hectares of macadamia by 2030. The province also identifies macadamia as one of the key agricultural crops contributing to poverty reduction and improving the lives of ethnic minorities; applying scientific and technical advances in planting, caring for and processing macadamia to improve productivity and product quality.

According to Mr. Lo Van Cuong, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dien Bien province, macadamia trees are very suitable for the climate and soil conditions of Dien Bien.

Many localities in the province such as Tuan Giao, Muong Ang, Dien Bien Phu city have deployed macadamia planting on a large scale. Localities have also cooperated with enterprises such as TH Group to develop macadamia trees.

Products from Dien Bien macadamia are now sold in the provincial market and in some provinces and cities nationwide. Macadamia trees have created a change in people's awareness, especially in ethnic minority areas, determined to get rich on their homeland.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dien Bien province is orienting the development of macadamia trees according to land use planning as well as planning for 3 types of forests. In which, vacant land, bare hills, and ineffective land will be utilized for macadamia cultivation.

Macadamia is a multi-purpose tree, both greening bare land and hills and producing fruit. This is also a tree that is paid for forest environmental services and can be sold for carbon credits.

Having been present in Dien Bien for more than a decade, macadamia is no longer a strange plant, causing farmers here to worry while growing it.

Instead, people plant trees while carrying the hope of a better life. In the coming years, the green macadamia forests will not only change the landscape of Dien Bien but also open the door to escape poverty and legitimate enrichment for the people here.

Source: https://danviet.vn/doi-dep-o-dien-bien-dan-lieu-trong-mac-ca-ngai-ngo-cay-thap-te-trai-qua-troi-ban-hat-ngon-ma-giau-2025011021264452.htm