DTO - From the alum-laden, barren land of Dong Thap Muoi, thanks to the hard-working hands of the people of Tan Phuoc (former Tan Phuoc district) and the support of the local government, a specialized area for growing quality pineapples has gradually formed and developed strongly. Tan Phuoc pineapples, especially the Queen pineapple variety, have not only made a name for the agricultural area that was once considered "uncultivable", but have also contributed to increasing income, helping many households escape poverty and stabilize their lives.
Leaders of Tan Phuoc 3 commune (right) surveyed the local pineapple growing area and listened to farmers' suggestions on sustainable development of pineapple plants.
The capital of pineapple in the West
The old Tan Phuoc district, the eastern edge of Dong Thap Muoi, is famous for its heavily acidic soil, making it difficult for crops to adapt. However, thanks to the people’s perseverance in reclaiming, improving and clinging to the land, especially in Tan Phuoc 3 commune, a large pineapple-growing area has gradually been formed, considered the “pineapple capital” of the province. This is a clear testament to the strong will and ability to turn difficulties into opportunities of honest farmers.
Mr. Ho Van Huy - Party cell secretary, Head of the People's Committee of Tan Hoa hamlet, Tan Phuoc 3 commune, who has witnessed many ups and downs of this land, recalls: "About 30 years ago, the land here was heavily contaminated with alum, under the clear alum pond, you could still see schools of fish swimming. Almost nothing could be grown. But thanks to the hard work and support of the government, farmers began to experiment with many types of plants, and in the end only pineapple grew well."
Since then, this seemingly “difficult” land has become the most suitable place for the Queen pineapple variety with a strong, sweet aroma, little fiber, thin skin, and is very popular in the market. Pineapple trees have become an economic salvation, a launching pad, helping many households here escape poverty and have a stable, prosperous life. The Tan Phuoc pineapple brand has gradually taken shape, carrying with it the story of the diligence and perseverance of the people here.
New challenges on the old journey
However, long-term commitment to pineapple farming is no longer as easy as before. Although pineapple has brought a prosperous life, new challenges are gradually emerging, requiring timely and effective solutions from farmers and authorities.
According to Mr. Ho Van Huy, pineapple plants are facing the risk of degenerating varieties and increasingly complex pests and diseases. “Due to continuous cultivation for many years, pineapple varieties are degenerated and productivity is reduced. After about 2-3 years, farmers have to renovate the land, and cannot cultivate continuously as before. Accordingly, the cost of replanting is quite high from seedlings, fertilizers to labor while the selling price is unstable, so not all farmers have enough capital to reinvest. In particular, the shortage of labor in rural areas is also a major barrier to maintaining long-term production. These are constant concerns of farmers, requiring synchronous solutions from many sides.
Mr. Ngo Van Bieng, residing in Tan Hoa hamlet, Tan Phuoc 3 commune - a farmer who has been growing pineapple for nearly 30 years, shared: “Pineapple has helped me and many households here have a stable life. The biggest wish of many farmers here is to have a stable consumption market. If there is a strong enough cooperative, linked with processing and exporting enterprises, farmers will feel more secure in production. We really hope that there will be a capable enterprise to organize large-scale production, creating a stable output so that people can increase the value of pineapple, not only selling fresh fruit but also diversifying products”.
Harvesting pineapples in Tan Phuoc 3 pineapple growing area (Photo: Duy Hai)
Need a sustainable chain of links
According to the People's Committee of Tan Phuoc 3 Commune, the commune currently has more than 8,000 hectares, of which 6,487 hectares are agricultural land and pineapple alone accounts for 2,833 hectares. The main pineapple variety is Queen, with an average yield of 20 tons/ha and a selling price of 7,500 - 8,000 VND/kg. Most of the pineapple output is still consumed through traditional channels such as traders and wholesale markets. Currently, cooperatives and enterprises have linked up to consume pineapple for farmers but only account for a small part of the total pineapple output of the region. Therefore, during the peak harvest season, there is still a situation of "good harvest, low price", a constant concern of farmers. The lack of a close chain from production to consumption has caused Tan Phuoc pineapple to not fully develop its value and potential.
A notable highlight in the locality is that farmers have initially exploited the potential of processing pineapples to increase their value. This is a new direction, opening the "door" for more sustainable development. Ms. Pham Thi Bich Ngoc - representative of Tan Phuoc Pineapple Candy Production Facility (My Loi Hamlet, Tan Phuoc 3 Commune), one of the pioneers starting a business from this hometown specialty, said: "At first, I only tried making pineapple candy from grade 2 and grade 3 pineapples during the peak harvest, because there were too many pineapples, it was a pity to sell them cheaply. Unexpectedly, the candy I made was supported by my neighbors, so I boldly produced it more professionally to sell to the market."
Pineapple candy of Tan Phuoc Pineapple Candy Production Facility is loved by the market for its unique flavor.
From simple handmade products, up to now, Ms. Bich Ngoc's facility has developed many new product lines such as: pineapple ginger candy, pineapple salt and chili candy and is planning to develop some more sweet cakes with fillings made from local specialty pineapple jam. Thanks to the rich flavor of Tan Phuoc pineapple, the facility's candy products quickly became popular and achieved 3-star OCOP certification. Pineapple candy is currently widely consumed domestically, contributing to promoting the image of the pineapple industry and especially solving the output for low-grade pineapple, helping farmers reduce losses during the harvest season.
The Tan Phuoc 3 Commune Government has been orienting the development of pineapple in a more systematic and sustainable direction. Mr. Tran Van Hiep - Chairman of the People's Committee of Tan Phuoc 3 Commune said that pineapple in Tan Phuoc has many advantages for development such as: suitable land, mild climate, farmers with a lot of experience in cultivation and large production area creating stable output are important foundations for local agricultural products to be connected with large markets. However, looking back at the local pineapple industry chain, there are still many difficulties and "bottlenecks" that need to be removed. To fully exploit the potential of pineapple, in the coming time, the locality is oriented to promote the development of the pineapple industry in a safe, organic direction, suitable for the requirements of the domestic and export markets.
The Queen pineapple variety has a strong aroma, is sweet, has little fiber, and has a thin skin from Tan Phuoc 3 land and is popular in the market.
At the same time, the locality will closely coordinate with specialized sectors to invest heavily in stages such as: developing sources of disease-free seedlings, developing and replicating pineapple production models to reduce costs and building a chain linking farmers - cooperatives - enterprises - scientists. This is a "4-house" model that has been proven effective in many other agricultural fields and now needs to be strongly applied to Tan Phuoc pineapple. In addition, the locality also encourages farmers to do deep processing to increase added value, creating more diverse and quality products from pineapple; developing growing area codes, a mandatory factor if one wants to export officially to large and demanding markets...
In order for Tan Phuoc pineapple products to conquer the international market, in addition to the diligence and experience of farmers, a systematic and synchronous strategy from the government, businesses and scientists is needed. In particular, cooperatives - with the role of connecting farmers and businesses, enhancing collective strength and ensuring farmers' rights - need to be consolidated and promoted, bringing Tan Phuoc pineapple to a new journey.
My Ly
Source: https://baodongthap.vn/kinh-te/khom-tan-phuoc-can-chuyen-minh-tren-hanh-trinh-moi-133204.aspx
Comment (0)