Life changed thanks to a dwarf old tree…

TPO - From a crop previously only grown in mixed gardens as part of a "self-sufficient" intercropping system, the dwarf Cavendish banana from the high-altitude border region of A Lưới (Hue City) has now entered major supermarkets in the city, appeared in school cafeterias in the lowlands, and been recognized as an OCOP product, helping many households in mountainous areas and ethnic minority communities to earn additional livelihoods, escape poverty, and gradually stabilize their lives.

Mixed garden crops become "specialties" that help people escape poverty.

When mentioning the mountainous region of A Lưới, many people immediately think of famous specialties such as ra zư rice, đoác wine, honey, wild chili peppers, sun-dried beef, smoked local pork, yellow ant egg salt, sim wine, a quát cake, zíp tót five-colored sticky rice… And another specialty that is increasingly establishing its position is the dwarf banana.

Dwarf banana trees in the highlands of A Lưới, Hue . Photo: AK - Lê Thọ

In early 2019, farmers in A Lưới were particularly excited when their dwarf Cavendish bananas, previously only sold on a small scale in villages or district markets, were launched for the first time in a major supermarket in Hue as part of a community livelihood program aimed at supporting highland people in improving their income and living standards.

From a fruit tree intercropped in mixed orchards, the dwarf banana has become a crop that helps people escape poverty and reach demanding markets. By specializing in this specialty crop, the people of A Lưới highlands are gradually changing their farming practices, step by step establishing the brand of agricultural products they produce themselves in this harsh, arid, rocky land.

During a business trip to the mountainous A Lưới district just before the locality was officially removed from the list of 74 poorest districts in the country in the middle of last year, we had the opportunity to accompany local officials to visit the farm of Mr. Nguyen Hai Teo (Pi Ay 2 hamlet, former Quang Nham commune, now A Lưới 2 commune, Hue City). Before us was a vast, lush green dwarf banana plantation, covering more than 1 hectare of once barren land. According to Mr. Teo, since 2018, recognizing that this banana variety is suitable for the climate and soil of the highlands, has good yields, and is gradually gaining attention and popularity in the market due to its quality, he boldly invested 500 million VND to establish the plantation.

The dwarf Cavendish banana variety was first introduced at a major supermarket in Hue in early 2019. Photo: BT

From the first harvest, Mr. Teo continued to expand the area. In recent years, his dwarf banana plantation has helped his family earn a profit of over 100 million VND per harvest. The economic value of dwarf bananas in A Lưới is established precisely from such innovative models.

Previously, during the first launch of the dwarf banana variety brought by local people and their produce from the mountains to the city at a luxury supermarket in Hue, Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung - then Chairman of the People's Committee of A Luoi District, now Secretary of the Party Committee of A Luoi 2 Commune - expressed his hope and belief that this would be a "poverty alleviation" crop, helping highland farmers improve their livelihoods sustainably and move towards prosperity.

Recognizing that this crop has the potential to transform the lives of ethnic minority communities, in recent years, local authorities in A Lưới have regularly collaborated with organizations in Hue City to organize numerous training courses, both in person and online. People are guided on sustainable farming practices, the application of scientific and technical advancements, and access to new distribution channels, including e-commerce platforms.

Digital connectivity elevates the status of highland agricultural products.

Even now, despite mastering the techniques of growing dwarf banana trees, farmer Le Nang Tho (A Luoi 2 commune) diligently updates his farming and cultivation knowledge through online videos and local farmers' Zalo groups. Thanks to this, the care, fertilization, and disease prevention for his banana plantation and other crops are becoming more systematic, scientific, and technically sound.

A Lưới's specialty dwarf banana. Photo by Minh Tâm/HNN

With 3 hectares of dwarf banana trees cultivated according to proper technical procedures, Mr. Tho's family earns a stable income of nearly 200 million VND per year, helping them escape the list of impoverished households in the commune. With a more stable economy, his children also have the opportunity to receive a full education.

Currently, the entire area of ​​the former A Lưới district has expanded the area planted with dwarf Cavendish bananas to approximately 116.4 hectares; of which A Lưới 2 commune alone has more than 100 hectares. Thanks to the garden-based economic model, with dwarf Cavendish bananas as the main crop, the average per capita income in A Lưới 2 commune has reached 65-70 million VND/person/year.

Besides improving their knowledge and farming techniques, people have also shifted their mindset from small-scale, fragmented farming to production and consumption along the value chain. Instead of simply waiting for traders to buy agricultural products seasonally, farmers have proactively promoted their products and sought customers through online channels. To date, in A Lưới, more than 60% of households produce and sell agricultural products through digital platforms. Some young families have even created their own Fanpages and online sales channels to sell their family's clean agricultural products.

Representatives of the A Lưới Safe Agricultural Products Cooperative introduce the specialty dwarf banana and processed banana products to customers. Photo: Thảo Vy/HNN

Recently, the A Lưới Safe Agricultural Products Cooperative has also played an important role in linking and consuming products. Recognizing that dwarf bananas have a short shelf life and easily lose quality and value during the ripening stage, the Cooperative has collaborated with processing facilities to create many diverse and innovative products such as dried banana slices, crispy dried green banana bread, noodles made from green banana flour, etc.

Despite initial difficulties due to being a new product and having high costs, these products have gradually found a market thanks to their cleanliness, nutritional content, and safety. Processed products made from dwarf Cavendish bananas now have many distribution channels, supplying restaurants and schools.

With its clear economic benefits, the A Lưới dwarf banana variety has been certified safe by the Hue City Department of Agriculture and Environment's Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Quality Management Sub-Department (Hue City Department of Agriculture and Environment) and recognized as an OCOP product. To consolidate poverty reduction achievements and move towards sustainable wealth creation, the local government is currently strengthening measures to support information and infrastructure. Smart loudspeaker systems have been installed in villages, regularly broadcasting information on farming techniques, updated agricultural product prices, and new effective models.

Mr. Phan Duy Khanh, Chairman of the People's Committee of A Luoi 2 commune, said that the commune has planned to expand the concentrated area for growing dwarf Cavendish bananas by about 50-100 hectares, applying standard technical procedures to ensure productivity and quality, combined with promoting awareness of the economic benefits of this highland specialty crop.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/doi-doi-nho-cay-gia-lun-post1803499.tpo