Sweet jackfruit at the beginning of the season - Phuc Tho farmers make money from their home gardens

In the early summer sunshine spreading gently across the land of Phuc Tho, the jackfruit gardens laden with fruit one after another are vivid evidence of the transformation of farmers here. From a familiar tree in home gardens, jackfruit has become a crop that helps many households develop their economy, opening up a new direction for local agriculture.

Jackfruit - easy to grow, highly effective

Officials of Phuc Tho district surveyed the jackfruit garden of Mrs. Bui Thi Hong's family, village 4, Nam Ha commune (Phuc Tho district). Photo: Minh Tuyet

Nam Ha commune is not only famous for its Tam Van grapefruit growing area, but also recently the “capital” of jackfruit growing in Phuc Tho district. These days, it is easy to see jackfruit trees laden with fruit in any family’s garden. Some trees have begun to bear early, fragrant fruit. According to jackfruit growers, the price of fruit at the beginning of the season is 30-35 thousand VND/kg, sold in the garden, people are very excited.

As a family that owns jackfruit trees that are regularly rated as having delicious fruit, Mrs. Bui Thi Hong in village 4, Nam Ha commune shared: “Previously, my family's garden was mainly mixed trees, with low efficiency. Since switching to growing jackfruit, income has improved significantly. Jackfruit is easy to grow, has few pests and diseases, and is suitable for the climate and soil. Each tree produces 15-20 fruits/year, with an average income of nearly 20 million VND per sao - many times higher than growing rice.”

According to Vice Chairman of Nam Ha Commune People's Committee Le Manh Cuong, the commune is located in the district's beach area, with spacious land, families often have several acres of garden land, almost every house grows jackfruit, from a few trees in the garden to specialized models. Many ancient jackfruit trees are decades old and still bear a lot of fruit. Nam Ha jackfruit is mainly Thai jackfruit (specialized in beach areas) and Vietnamese jackfruit (grown in home gardens). In which, Vietnamese jackfruit is mainly propagated by people by sowing seeds. Trees that produce delicious fruit will be kept for propagation, preserving good genetic resources (thick segments, yellow flesh, sweet taste, strong aroma...). Jackfruit is currently a crop that brings in higher income than vegetables and food crops. Compared to grapefruit, in recent years, when prices have been low, jackfruit trees have given relatively good economic efficiency.

According to Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Phuc Tho district Khuat Thi Phuong, the locality is located in a fertile land area with alluvium deposited by three large rivers: Hong, Day, Tich. In recent years, the district has promoted the conversion of crop structure, developing many effective production models, in which jackfruit trees are given special attention. Up to now, the whole district has more than 54 hectares of jackfruit, of which 42 hectares are being harvested, with an average yield of 18.5 tons/ha, and an output of about 786 tons. The main varieties include: Dai jackfruit, Thai jackfruit, To Nu jackfruit, and Mat jackfruit, with an average income of 400 million VND/ha - an impressive figure for current agricultural production. Jackfruit trees are grown in the communes of Nam Ha, Van Phuc, Hat Mon, Tam Thuan... and are increasingly expanding thanks to their outstanding economic efficiency.

Brand building, sustainable development

Although jackfruit is less susceptible to pests and diseases and does not require much care, it also has its limitations, which is that it is difficult to preserve ripe fruit. Vice Chairman of Nam Ha Commune People's Committee Le Manh Cuong said: "Jackfruit ripens in a short time, cannot be preserved for long, and the output depends on traders; there are many difficult times for consumption, and prices are unstable. We hope to build chains to support farmers. Further, we plan to build a brand for the product, as a basis for improving the quality and value of jackfruit trees."

Jackfruit garden of Mrs. Bui Thi Quy's family in village 3, Nam Ha commune, Phuc Tho district. Photo: Minh Tuyet

Seeing the potential of jackfruit, Phuc Tho district has oriented to develop specialized areas associated with building product brands. The authorities of Nam Ha commune and the district have begun steps to register parent trees, preserve native jackfruit genetic resources, and build growing areas that meet VietGAP standards. According to Ms. Khuat Thi Phuong, Phuc Tho district has inspected and reviewed the jackfruit growing area and evaluated the effectiveness of the crop. The district has identified jackfruit as one of the key crops in the 2025-2030 period, and will gradually support farmers with varieties, techniques, and expand the cultivation area according to standard processes; at the same time, connect with businesses to consume products stably and long-term.

Along with that, Phuc Tho actively encourages people to participate in production linkage, deep processing and diversification of jackfruit products. This is a necessary direction to increase added value. In addition to direct use, jackfruit can become raw materials for processed products such as dried jackfruit, canned jackfruit, jackfruit jam, etc.

With a sharp mind in production and in the context of high material prices and unpredictable weather, jackfruit has become a crop that brings a prosperous life to hundreds of households in Phuc Tho. The story of this suburban jackfruit tree is a testament to the spirit of innovation in agriculture, suggesting the value in the strategy of restructuring the capital's agriculture towards efficiency and sustainability associated with building advanced, exemplary new rural areas...

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/mit-ngot-dau-mua-nong-dan-phuc-tho-lam-kinh-te-tu-vuon-nha-703505.html