Cau Duc Pineapple: the sweet taste of Vi Thanh

On the day Hoa Tien commune, Vi Thanh city, was recognized by the Hau Giang Provincial People's Committee as a model new rural area, Mr. Vu Sui, a veteran farmer, was deeply moved. He is a witness to the transformation of the Cau Duc pineapple growing area towards OCOP-certified products alongside the construction of a new rural area.

Now, Mr. Vu Sui is accustomed to affixing traceability labels to Cau Duc pineapples when the product achieves OCOP 4-star certification. Having been involved with Cau Duc pineapples for over 40 years, he is a "second-generation" grower, understanding the ups and downs of this "hundred-eyed" fruit. The straight irrigation ditches and fields, along with consistently bountiful pineapple harvests in the saline-acidic soil, are also reasons why Mr. Vu Sui is trusted by the people and elected as the Director of Thanh Thang Cooperative – currently with over 100 members cultivating more than 200 hectares of pineapples.

“Besides creating OCOP products from Cau Duc pineapples, the cooperative has signed contracts to purchase pineapple products from its members, including affiliated pineapple-growing households, with a production volume of over 1,500 tons of fruit from 180 hectares. The cooperative also collaborates with several processing and export companies to ensure market access, helping pineapple growers earn a high income,” Mr. Vu Sui shared. Like himself, with 6 hectares of pineapple cultivation, he now earns several hundred million dong annually, giving him peace of mind to continue growing pineapples in the long term.

The people on both banks of the Cai Lon River – bordering Go Quao District ( Kien Giang Province) and Vi Thanh City (Hau Giang Province) – consider Cau Duc pineapple a wise choice made by their predecessors. This is because Cau Duc pineapple is a crop that adapts well to saline and acidic soil. According to the elders here, in 1930, the people of Hoa Tien saw that the pineapple variety was good, so they propagated and planted it along the Cai Lon River. The pineapple plants took root and thrived to this day, nearly 100 years ago. The name Cau Duc pineapple originated from the fact that at that time, the locality had a concrete bridge spanning the Cai Lon River. Traders gathered here to buy pineapples and transport them to sell everywhere.

Cau Duc pineapples are grown extensively in Vi Thanh City, covering nearly 2,500 hectares with a yield of 16.78 tons/hectare, resulting in an annual production of approximately 40,000 tons. With over 1,000 hectares, Cau Duc pineapples account for more than 75% of the agricultural land in Hoa Tien commune. In 2023, the average per capita income in Hoa Tien commune was nearly 75 million VND/year, an increase of 14 million VND compared to 2021. The success in cultivating and developing Cau Duc pineapples contributed to the commune achieving the status of the first model new rural area in Vi Thanh City in March 2024.

According to Comrade Nguyen Huu Tinh, Secretary of the Vi Thanh City Party Committee, the city is very interested in developing new rural communes in conjunction with the implementation of the Hau Giang Provincial Party Committee's resolution on four pillars: industry, agriculture, urban areas, and tourism, including connecting the tourist route from the city center along the Xa No River to Hoa Tien commune.

Hau Giang currently has 175 products recognized as meeting OCOP 3-star and 4-star standards. Among them, 9 products are processed from Cau Duc pineapples, such as pineapple wine, pineapple syrup, pineapple jam, and pickled pineapple hearts. Vi Thanh City is making efforts to attract investment in building residential areas, markets, and piers to serve as stops for tourists visiting Cau Duc pineapples and showcasing OCOP products. The local authorities are guiding residents to improve the drainage canals and ditches around the pineapple plantations to facilitate tourist visits by boat. Besides stabilizing output and creating sustainable income for residents, the city is also expanding tourism spaces, focusing on experiential tourism right in the pineapple growing region.

Comrade Truong Canh Tuyen, Standing Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hau Giang province, shared that after 13 years of implementation, with decisive direction, strong and synchronized involvement of the entire political system, and active participation of the people of Hau Giang, the National Target Program for New Rural Development has become a vibrant and widespread movement in the province and has achieved many comprehensive achievements. To date, the province has 40 out of 51 communes meeting the new rural development standards, 10 communes meeting the advanced new rural development standards, 3 communes meeting the model new rural development standards, and 3 district-level units meeting/completing the task of building new rural areas. In 2024, Hoa Tien commune, Vi Thanh city, will be the first commune to achieve the model new rural development standard and become the 3rd commune to achieve the model new rural development standard in the province.

CAO PHONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/khom-cau-duc-vi-ngot-cua-vi-thanh-post737669.html