As we were being toured by boat along the coconut groves, filled with coconut trees of various ages, Mr. Dang explained: “Before, there were so many dried coconuts that both the fruit and the flesh were dirt cheap. There were times when thousands of coconuts sprouted, enough to feed the whole neighborhood. That’s when I thought, why not try growing coconuts for their palm hearts?” That idea came to him by chance, but it became a turning point in his life.
Mr. Le Trong Dang visits a coconut garden. Photo: DANG LINH
Initially, Mr. Dang invested in over 200 coconut trees of the old-fashioned variety, known for its large fruits and big coconut hearts. Due to lack of experience, about 90 trees were lost. But he believed that with hard work, the coconut trees of his homeland would eventually yield a good harvest. Seeing the coconut heart salad dish in restaurants becoming popular, he gained even more confidence. He taught himself how to cut, peel, and preserve the coconut hearts, then switched from selling whole hearts to selling them in smaller quantities, vacuum-packing them for distant customers. Since 2012, he has earned a profit of over 80 million VND. Currently, he cultivates about 20,000 coconut trees along the embankment of his 2.5-hectare shrimp pond, with about 15,000 trees about to be harvested. "At first, I sold them for 25,000 VND/kg for the unpeeled, mature ones, but now the price has doubled and I still can't keep up with demand. Some people order hundreds of kilograms at a time, and I deliver them everywhere from Phu Quoc and Kien Hai to Ho Chi Minh City," Mr. Dang said.
Stir-fried palm heart with salt dip is a popular and trending snack these days. Photo: DANG LINH
For Mr. Dang, coconut palm heart is not just a food item but also a part of his childhood memories. In the past, to get coconut palm heart, one had to cut down an entire coconut tree bearing fruit, which was both time-consuming and wasteful, so few families dared to do it. Now, with his model of growing coconuts for palm heart, Mr. Dang can harvest them in just three years. The trees are planted in rotation, so there's a year-round supply. Whenever people want to make coconut palm heart salad or pancakes for parties, they just need to call about 20 minutes in advance, and he'll deliver fresh, crispy, sweet palm hearts directly from the garden.
According to Mr. Dang, the cost of growing coconuts for their palm hearts is very low. Coconuts don't need much water, so even with over 20,000 trees, he still has a relatively easy job. In addition, he utilizes coconut leaves as fuel, and coconut fronds as a substrate for shrimp and plankton, retaining moisture and eventually decomposing into organic fertilizer for his garden. After achieving OCOP 3-star certification, his N-Dang palm heart product has received offers from companies for 50kg/day contracts, and a large supermarket has contacted him several times for long-term purchases, but he hasn't dared to accept them yet due to insufficient supply.
Instead of keeping his secret to himself, Mr. Dang encouraged villagers and young people in the hamlet to plant coconuts together. "One person doing it alone is small-scale, but many people doing it together creates a brand, a reputation, and a good price," Mr. Dang said. In October 2023, he established the Xeo La B Coconut Planting Cooperative, with 11 members and an area of over 50 hectares. The cooperative's goal is not only to grow coconuts for selling the kernels but also to focus on processed products, linked to ecotourism , and building a stable raw material supply area.
DANG LINH
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/lap-nghiep-tu-cu-hu-dua-a466247.html
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