Exchange old, unproductive jackfruit trees for a sustainable income from durian.

Determined to enhance the value of his orchards, Mr. Ly Van Tinh in Phong Dien commune, Can Tho city, boldly cut down his old jackfruit trees to plant durian – a high-value specialty fruit. This successful transformation has brought his family hundreds of millions of dong in income each year. Furthermore, as the Director of Truong Trung A Cooperative, Mr. Tinh has led over 60 farmers in developing a high-quality durian growing area, linking with fruit export businesses along the value chain, and creating a stable income for the cooperative's farmers.

Sharing his experience in crop conversion, Mr. Tinh said: “Recognizing the increasing market demand for ‘clean’, quality-assured durian products, in 2020, I decided to cut down my old, unproductive jackfruit orchard and switch to planting 100 Ri6 and Monthong durian trees on an area of ​​over 6,000m². Initially, I lacked experience, so the cultivation process encountered many obstacles. Therefore, I participated in technical training courses on planting and caring for durian, as well as learning from successful durian farming models both locally and internationally to apply to my orchard.”

Not stopping there, Mr. Tinh also invested in an automatic irrigation system, saving labor, reducing costs, and ensuring uniform growth of the durian trees. Thanks to the synchronized application of advanced technical measures and the advantages of the local soil, Mr. Tinh's durian orchard thrives, has few pests and diseases, yields stable productivity, and produces superior quality fruit. In particular, the application of the automatic irrigation system contributes to improved farming efficiency, such as earlier flowering, more fruit in subsequent seasons than in previous seasons, and higher selling prices due to the ability to control the harvesting time. To date, Mr. Tinh's durian orchard is 6 years old and has yielded two harvests. According to Mr. Tinh, in the 2024 harvest season, his family harvested nearly 4 tons of durian, selling it at 50,000-80,000 VND/kg, earning over 200 million VND after deducting expenses.

Mr. Ly Van Tinh from Phong Dien commune introduces durian trees grown using safe farming practices.

Thanks to his understanding of safe fruit farming practices and the characteristics of durian trees, Mr. Tinh proactively manages pests and diseases by applying fertilizers and pesticides according to the tree's growth cycle. This ensures optimal durian fruit development and prevents common diseases such as stem oozing, leaf blight, and thrips. As a result, the durians from Mr. Tinh's orchard consistently achieve high quality, with a rich, fragrant flavor that attracts fruit export companies who purchase them directly from his orchard during harvest season at prices 5-10% higher than the market price. Mr. Tinh shared: "Gardening now requires not only diligence but also the application of scientific and technical knowledge and understanding market demands. Only then can we create clean, high-quality products and bring sustainable value."

Not only enriching himself, as the Director of Truong Trung A Cooperative, Mr. Tinh also supported and facilitated the participation of cooperative members in training courses on durian cultivation and care techniques organized by city authorities. In addition, Mr. Tinh and the Cooperative's Board of Directors actively participated in market connection programs between the cooperative and businesses inside and outside the city to find customers and partners to guarantee product sales. To date, the cooperative has linked with two export fruit purchasing businesses, ensuring sales for over 32 hectares of durian orchards belonging to 60 members. Depending on the area under cultivation, each member of the cooperative earns an average income of 200-500 million VND per year.

According to Mr. Tinh, to maintain long-term business relationships with enterprises, the cooperative actively guides farmers in applying the correct techniques for off-season flowering, as well as implementing safe farming practices and organizing staggered harvesting (from February to August each year), ensuring stable durian production and regular supply to purchasing enterprises. In addition to supporting farmers in growing durian safely, Truong Trung A Cooperative also provides high-quality fertilizers and pesticides at prices lower than market rates for its members… As a result, farmers have reduced production costs and can confidently grow durian according to safety standards to sell at higher prices.

To achieve sustainable development, Truong Trung A Cooperative hopes to receive support in establishing planting area codes based on market demand; building a brand for clean agricultural products; expanding distribution channels, especially focusing on exports… in order to enhance the value of distinctive agricultural products and increase farmers' income, contributing to the socio-economic development of the locality.

Text and photos: MY HOA

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/doi-mit-gia-coi-lay-nguon-thu-nhap-ben-vung-tu-sau-rieng-a193996.html