Getting rich from labels

- This is Ms. Nong Thuy Huong (born in 1983), a member of the Women's Association of Say village, Dong Tan commune, Huu Lung district. With her quick wit and willingness to think outside the box and take action, she has applied science and technology to planting and caring for fruit trees according to VietGAP standards, bringing high economic efficiency and generating an income of 400 million to 500 million VND per year.

Ms. Nong Thuy Huong inspects longan trees for pests and diseases.

In early June 2025, we had the opportunity to visit the orchard of Ms. Nong Thuy Huong's family. Upon entering the orchard, we were immediately overwhelmed by the vast longan trees, their branches laden with fruit.

Leading us on a tour of her orchard, Ms. Huong shared: "I got married at the age of 20. At that time, my husband's family was cultivating the Huong Chi longan variety with 200 trees. In 2003, the orchard began to bear fruit. Recognizing that the soil and climate conditions were suitable for growing Huong Chi longan, I discussed with my family in 2004 the idea of investing in expanding the planting area."

In 2015, while visiting Hanoi University of Agriculture (now Vietnam Academy of Agriculture) to buy seedlings, Ms. Huong learned about a high-yielding and economically efficient longan variety called Mien longan. Through information she received and researched online, she realized that this variety had a higher flowering and fruiting rate than other common longan varieties, so she decided to buy cuttings to graft onto Huong Chi longan rootstock for experimental purposes.

Ms. Huong shared: Initially, due to lack of experience, the family only grafted a few rootstocks. Seeing that the Mien longan grafted onto Huong Chi longan rootstock grew well and yielded high productivity, the family gradually switched to grafting Mien longan branches onto all the Huong Chi longan rootstocks in the garden. To date, the family has over 1,000 Mien longan trees grafted onto Huong Chi longan rootstocks.

According to Ms. Huong, the Mien longan variety is characterized by its large size, bright yellow color, minimal cracking, sweet taste, and fragrant aroma. It is also one of the high-yielding longan varieties. Mien longan is harvested about a month later than other varieties during the peak season, so the price is usually more stable. On average, her family harvests 15 to 17 tons of fruit annually, and in peak years with good harvests, they harvest over 20 tons. Thanks to VietGAP-certified care, her family's longan orchard produces large, uniformly sweet, and visually appealing fruit. Their main customers are traders from provinces and cities such as Hanoi , Bac Giang, and Bac Ninh.

This year, despite the prolonged drought, the family was able to secure sufficient irrigation water, resulting in a high fruit setting rate and even fruit distribution in their longan orchard. It is estimated that Ms. Huong's family will harvest over 25 tons of longan this year.

Besides cultivating longan, Ms. Huong's family also cares for 2 hectares of acacia forest and about 300 pomelo trees of the Que Duong and Doan Hung varieties. On average, the family harvests over 16,000 pomelos annually, selling them at 10,000 VND per fruit. From developing fruit trees, Ms. Huong's family earns between 400 million and 500 million VND per year after deducting expenses.

Besides developing her family's economy, Ms. Huong enthusiastically shares her experience and guides female members on lychee cultivation techniques whenever needed. Furthermore, during the lychee harvest season, her family provides seasonal employment for 5 to 7 local laborers, earning them 250,000 to 300,000 VND per day.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen, Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Dong Tan Commune, commented: "Ms. Huong is a model female member in local economic development. Not only is she dynamic in developing her family's economy, but she also enthusiastically guides and shares her experience with other female members. She also actively participates in charitable activities and movements initiated and organized by the local women's union. She has supported and facilitated loans of 40 million VND interest-free for two female members in the village to invest in production."

Thanks to her efforts in developing her family's economy, in January 2025, Ms. Nong Thuy Huong was honored with a commendation from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee for being a farmer with an effective economic development model, contributing to poverty alleviation and job creation for local workers.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/giau-len-nho-trong-nhan-5049163.html