Macadamia season in Mai Son

Farmers in Nam Ban village harvest macadamia nuts.

The macadamia hills that are now yielding harvests are the result of more than a decade of persistent conversion of crop structure. This was once a hilly land with only corn and cassava, and at one point the land was even abandoned. The green color of macadamia trees covers the hills, erasing the past of poverty, making way for new vitality.

Known as the "queen of dried fruits", macadamia trees began to take root in Mai Son commune since 2010. With the ability to withstand drought, withstand frost, adapt to poor soil and have few pests, macadamia is increasingly asserting its value as the planting area is continuously expanded. Not only providing economic efficiency and increasing income, this crop also helps improve the ecological environment, providing shade for other crops such as legumes, coffee...

After harvesting, macadamia nuts are gathered and brought to purchasing points.

As one of the pioneer households in experimental macadamia planting in Mai Son commune, Mr. Tran Van Duc in village 428 has nearly

Recalling 12 years ago, when the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center supported the experimental planting of macadamia trees, Mr. Tran Van Duc in village 428 did not really believe in this new crop. Mr. Duc confided: In 2013, when the local government decided to pilot planting thousands of macadamia trees, many people expressed doubts about the feasibility of this new crop. However, with support from all levels and sectors, while planting and learning care techniques, the macadamia trees adapted and grew well, and by the 5th year, the entire area began to flower and bear fruit. 300 macadamia trees were intercropped with mango and coffee, and in the first trial, each tree yielded 3-5kg of fresh fruit. From the 6th year onwards, the yield gradually increased, and now the family has 3 hectares of macadamia trees for harvest.

Mr. Duc's macadamia garden has been harvested for the 7th year, with productivity increasing every year as the trees grow larger and their canopies become wider. Macadamias are harvested, shelled at home, and then sold to traders or purchasing facilities, with stable output. Last year, his family harvested nearly 8 tons of fresh macadamia nuts. Seeing the economic value of growing macadamia, Mr. Duc's family has planted 200 more trees. This year, his family is expected to harvest 10 tons of macadamia nuts and has signed a contract to purchase at 70,000 VND/kg of shelled fruit. It is expected that after deducting costs, each hectare of macadamia nuts will yield a profit of about 80 million VND.

Mr. Duc's macadamia garden is a convincing proof for many households in Mai Son commune to change crops. Through the introduction, we came to Mr. Lo Van So's house, Nam Ban village. His family's macadamia hill of more than 1 hectare is located among the mango and longan trees of the villagers, standing out with its lush green color and clusters of fruit. Next to it are patches of macadamia trees that have been planted for 2 years with young green leaves. Looking at the clusters of macadamia trees that are ready to be harvested, Mr. So could not hide his joy: Macadamia requires little care, no need to worry about drought, the harvested fruit can be stored well in the warehouse for many days after preliminary processing, without fear of spoilage. The price of macadamia in bulk is from 40,000 - 60,000 VND/kg, and grade 1 goods are from 70,000 - 80,000 VND/kg. This season, the family is expected to harvest nearly 2 tons of fruit, earning nearly 100 million VND.

Macadamia trees planted over 6 years have been harvested.

After many years of experimental planting, macadamia trees have proven to be suitable for natural conditions in Mai Son. Initially, people often intercropped with coffee. When the output was stable, people boldly specialized to improve economic efficiency. Up to now, the macadamia growing area in the commune has increased to over 400 hectares, with an estimated output of nearly 2,000 tons of fresh fruit per year. This year, with favorable weather, most macadamia gardens are full of fruit. In mature macadamia gardens, the average harvest is 20-35 kg of fruit per tree. With a stable fresh fruit purchase price, many households have earned an income of 80-200 million VND per harvest thanks to this tree.

After harvest, macadamia nuts are brought home to be cleaned and shelled.

In addition to expanding the planting area, processing and trading macadamia products have become an important direction in local economic development. Processed products such as dried macadamia nuts, shelled kernels or macadamia nut oil have contributed to increasing the value of agricultural products and expanding the consumption market.

Mr. Duong Van Dat, Director of Dat Thuy Company Limited, Mai Son Commune, informed: From 2018 to now, the Company has invested in machinery, built a factory specializing in drying, splitting nuts, and vacuum machines to purchase macadamia nuts for farmers in the commune and neighboring localities. Currently in the peak of the macadamia harvest season, the company buys 7-10 tons of fruit every day to process, process dried macadamia nuts, macadamia essential oil... to sell to the market. The demand for macadamia nuts in the market is quite large, especially to serve the processing of confectionery products for the Mid-Autumn Festival market and to stockpile goods for the Lunar New Year. From now until the end of the year, there are still many orders, so the company continues to purchase products for farmers.

After more than a decade of establishment on Mai Son land, the lush green macadamia gardens and fields have not only changed the landscape but also opened the door to escape poverty and legitimate enrichment for local people.

Source : https://baosonla.vn/kinh-te-video/mua-mac-ca-o-mai-son-jb4epsuHg.html